Can your cup of coffee add more years to your life? Long study reveals surprising details

Most of us love a cup of coffee to start the day on a fresh note, or in the middle of the day.

However, a cup of coffee can do more than just making the day better. It might actually be the key to living a healthier, longer life. According to a recent study led by a team from the University of Coimbra in Portugal, coffee can be the perfect beverage to improve lifespan.

Findings of the study:
The researchers looked at 85 previous studies involving participants across Europe, the Americas, Australia, and Asia. The study discovered that people who have at least three cups of coffee in a day are bound to add 1.84 years of lifespan.

Neuroscientist Rodrigo Cunha from the University of Coimbra, said, “Traditional clinical recommendations have at times overlooked coffee’s role in healthy aging. Our review underlines the role regular, moderate coffee consumption can play in mediating against the biological mechanisms which naturally slow or fail as we get older – triggering a range of potential health issues and comorbidities.”

The findings vary in aspects of types of coffee consumed, demographics and the people involved in the study. Hence, it is possible that the benefits are not just due to drinking coffee. However, the breadth of the study is its strength. Health indicators such as inflammation and metabolism were analysed. Smoking and alcohol consumption were also taken into account to know the effects of coffee consumption.

Coffee and healthier lifespan:
The researchers, in their published paper, added, “Regular coffee consumption seems associated with a preservation of muscular, cardiovascular, mental and immune system functions and seems inversely associated with the incidence of the most frequent diseases affecting the elderly such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, stroke, some cancers, diabetes, dementia, major depression, or frailty.”

While coffee and caffeine are not just the sole reasons for healthier lifespan, their positive health effects have a way of improving the quality of life, alleviating risk of severe diseases.