New study: live longer by drinking a few cups of coffee a day

People who drink a few cups of coffee a day seem to die less quickly. That's the conclusion of a new study reported by The New York Times. But, it is immediately warned, too much can be counterproductive.

The study would show that those in the study group who drank 1.5 to 3.5 cups a day had a 30 percent lower risk of dying during the study period than those who did not drink coffee.

The coffee may even contain some sugar, according to research published in the scientific journal The Annals of Internal Medicine. Then the risk of death is 16 to 21 percent lower than for non-coffee drinkers.

170,000 people examined
The study tracked the health records of 170,000 people in Britain aged 37 to 73 for seven years. They were also asked about dietary patterns and therefore also the consumption of coffee.

Whether you drink decaffeinated coffee or coffee with caffeine does not matter for the mortality risk.

"It's huge. Few things reduce the risk of death by 30 percent," Christina Wee, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, told The New York Times. She does make some caveats. Similarly, there may be other factors that influence the risk of death, such as regular exercise and eating patterns. Coffee drinkers may be making healthier choices in general. For example, they may opt for a cup of coffee or glass of water more often than for an unhealthy soft drink, juice or energy drink.

Better no frappuccino
"Of course, the lower risk of dying doesn't add up to drinking a latte, a frappuccino, or anything else you can get at coffee chains," said Eric Goldberg, a clinical associate professor of medicine at N.Y.U. Grossman School of Medicine. These drinks are usually high in calories and fat, negating the positive effects of coffee.