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Two new studies have found that drinking more coffee each day could lead to a longer life.

The studies, one in the U.S. and one in Europe, and published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, tracked over 700,000 people across multiple ethnic groups in over 10 European countries and the U.S. and found that even drinking decaffeinated coffee supplied benefits to individuals over those who did not drink the beverage.

The studies concluded that consuming 1-2 cups of coffee per day resulted in a 12% lower risk of mortality and consuming 2-4 cups a day resulted in an 18% lower risk of mortality. These results in inverse rates of mortality to coffee consumption showed in disease such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, stroke and cancer.

This study supports earlier studies that found that coffee consumption (both caffeinated and non-caffeinated) is associated with lower risks of high-grade prostate cancer. More studies are underway to better understand this correlation.

Coffee is a complex mixture of compounds that have various biological effects, such as anti-inflammatory properties. It is believed that in addition to these properties, coffee is a source of polyphenols which have potent antioxidant properties, which helps cells cope with free radicals in the blood.

One of the European study’s authors, Marc Gunter, stated, “The takeaway message would be that drinking a couple cups of coffee a day doesn’t do you any harm, and actually, it might be doing you some good.” Veronica Wendy Setiawan, associate professor of preventative medicine at USC’s Keck School of Medicine, who led the study on nonwhite populations says, “These studies and the previous studies suggest that for a majority of people, there’s no long term harm from drinking coffee. Moderate coffee consumption can be incorporated into a healthy diet and lifestyle.”

You can find a link to our health and wellness diet and lifestyle guide on our website at PCF.org/guide.  And now you can add a few cups of coffee to that!