People who drink coffee, with or without sugar, appear to have a lower risk of premature death, according to a new Chinese survey. Those who consume 2.5 to 4.5 cups of unsweetened coffee a day have the greatest benefit, with an average 29% lower risk of death than those who drink no coffee at all.
Previous studies had found evidence that coffee can be good for health, reducing the risk of various diseases such as liver disease, cancers, dementia etc. The new research supports this view, showing that moderate coffee consumption, even with sugar, reduces the risk of premature death, regardless of the type of coffee (boiled, instant, decaffeinated, etc.).
The researchers, who published the study in the medical journal Annals of Internal Medicine, analysed data on 171,616 people with an average age of 56 years without cardiovascular disease or cancer. The study was conducted over seven years, during which 3,177 people died.
It was found that, compared to those who never drank coffee, those who drank coffee without sugar or other sweetener had the lowest risk of death in the following years. Those who added sugar to their coffee and drank 1.5 to 3.5 cups of coffee a day had a reduced risk, albeit smaller.
However, most of the participants in the study put only one teaspoon of sugar in, so it is not clear to what extent there is a benefit for those who drink too much sweet coffee. So, according to the researchers, it's wiser to drink your coffee without too much sugar.
