To Live Longer, Drink More Coffee

Being an adult has a few downsides, such as a receding hairline, more jiggling when jogging, and, you know, being that much closer to dead.

But it also offers compensations.

As a kid, I vividly remember that adulthood seemed to be defined by coffee. My parents both drank copious coffee from the percolator.

My mother at age 86 is still going strong with two or three cups each day.

True to form, I typically drink three cups of coffee daily.

And now, I am delighted to report that according to at least some research, the key to making this daily habit more healthful for Mom and me is to…

Drink more coffee.

The Coffee-Longevity Connection

In 2012, a big study in The New England Journal of Medicine showed that coffee drinkers lived longer than abstainers. 1

(I’m not kidding about “big.” This info was taken from the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study and included more than 400,000 participants.)

What was especially remarkable was what physicians call the “dose response.”

As it turns out, there was an almost perfect correlation — the more coffee the subjects drank, they less likely they were to die.

This, obviously, can’t go on indefinitely or continually chugging café noir would make one immortal. But men who drank a hefty six or more cups of coffee daily were 10 percent less likely to die over the course of the study than the java-rejecting controls.

And six-cups-daily women fared even better. They were 15 percent less likely to die.

To be clear, that’s less likely to die of almost anything.

As the research team put it, “Coffee appeared to be inversely associated with most major causes of death in both men and women, including heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, injuries and accidents, diabetes, and infections.”

Only cancer seemed to be left out: There was a small, “borderline” association between coffee drinking with lower cancer risk in men. No advantage at all was seen for women.

Especially interesting — these healthy effects were seen whether the joe-chuggers drank regular or decaf.

This suggests coffee’s life-extending benefits may be due to a combination of compounds including chlorogenic acid — also found in potatoes, peaches, and prunes.

Chlorogenic acid appears to blunt blood sugar surges that can happen after meals — suggesting one gets the most benefit from coffee then. 2

But it’s likely even more complex than that. Coffee contains over 1,000 compounds, any one of which might affect health status.

In nutrition science, it’s very tough to tease out which compound makes a whole food healthy. Better off just to consume the food.

So I believe I’ll have another cup.

Brad Lemley
Editor, Natural Health Solutions


[1] Freedman, N. D., Y. Park, C. C. Abnet, A. R. Hollenbeck, and R. Sinha. “Association of Coffee Drinking with Total and Cause-Specific Mortality.” New England Journal of Medicine 366, no. 20 (May 17 2012): 1891-904

[2] Kempf K, Herder C, Erlund I, et al. Effects of coffee consumption on subclinical inflammation and other risk factors for type 2 diabetes: a clinical trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010

Brad Lemley

Written By Brad Lemley

Brad Lemley is a science and health writer and former senior correspondent for The Washington Post and Discover magazine. He is a tireless advocate for safe, natural, self-directed healthy living practices and therapies.

View More Free Articles

Your Washed Fruits and Veggies Might STILL Be Toxic

We’ve all been there. Standing at the kitchen sink, dutifully washing our fruits and vegetables to remove the pesticides, feeling good about our healthy choices. But there’s a chance that all that scrubbing might be giving you a false sense of security… Unfortunately, the latest research on pesticides in our produce is downright alarming. And...

Read This

Peace, Joy, and... Pressure? How to Relieve Holiday Stress

The holiday season is upon us, bringing twinkling lights, good cheer, and… stress? If you’re feeling more frazzled than festive, you’re not alone. A recent American Psychological Association (APA) poll reveals a startling reality about our collective holiday experience. We often paint the holidays as a picture-perfect time of joy and togetherness. But for many,...

Read This

The Longevity Secret Hiding in Your Produce Drawer

Scientists recently uncovered a remarkable anti-aging compound that not only extends life… it could help protect your brain from age-related decline at the same time. And the best part? This secret to living longer (and better) might ALREADY be hiding in plain sight in your refrigerator… New animal research published in the journal Antioxidants has...

Read This

Playlist Hack SPEEDS UP Surgery Recovery

When you have surgery scheduled, you don’t just worry about the day of the operation. There’s the anxiety leading up to the surgery. And then, even worse, there’s the painful recovery afterward. But now scientists say there’s a drug-free way to bounce back FASTER with less pain and anxiety. And the trick is as simple...

Read This

Is Wine Good for Heart Health? The Truth REVEALED

For years, many of us have savored an evening glass of red wine, comforted by the notion that this amount of alcohol might benefit our heart health. Well, unfortunately, I have to be the bearer of bad news… Recent research is challenging this long-held belief. In fact, there’s growing evidence that even light to moderate...

Read This

The Surprising Reason to Embrace Holiday Break

When the holiday season arrives, you often hear warnings about managing the stress of family gatherings, social commitments, and overindulgent meals. However, some upbeat new research reveals that the holidays can also be a secret weapon for better health. The study found that regardless of whether you’re still working a 9 to 5, or are...

Read This

Mailbag: Your Green Light Guide to Healthy Eating

“As everyone is so quick to inform us what not to eat, would you kindly inform us of what we can eat? It seems like everything has been condemned at this point.” —Hungry Hi Hungry, I understand why you’re frustrated. With all the warnings, it can feel like EVERY food in the grocery store is...

Read This

“Jack Frost” Method Supercharges Your Workouts

As the mercury drops, we instinctively want to huddle inside under a warm blanket. But before you resign yourself to a season of hibernation and comfort foods, consider this… Braving the cold could be your secret weapon for better health. While safety should always come first, of course (never venture out on icy streets), there...

Read This

Common Vitamin Protects Your Pancreas

You’ve probably heard about vitamin B12 for its role in keeping your blood and nerves healthy. But could it also be the key to protecting your pancreas? New research from Sichuan University in China suggests that this unassuming B vitamin might have even more benefits than we thought—helping to reduce the risk of acute pancreatitis,...

Read This

The Fiber That May Mimic Ozempic?

Recently, Ozempic has gained fame as a weight loss drug that works by controlling blood sugar and reducing cravings. But what if a natural solution could offer similar benefits—without the potential side effects or costs associated with GLP-1 medications? According to new research, a type of dietary fiber could help with weight loss and blood...

Read This