Coffee may do more than just get you going in the morning—it may also keep you going for years to come. According to research presented at the ESC (European Society of Cardiology) Congress, drinking at least four portions of coffee a day may lower your risk of death. The study included data from 19,896 Spanish university graduates, average age 37.7 at the start of the study. The graduates were participating in the SUN Project, a long-term study designed to identify links between dietary factors and chronic diseases, which began in 1999. Participants answered a food frequency questionnaire that included questions about their coffee consumption, other lifestyle habits, demographics, and health status. Then, researchers followed the participants for an average of ten years, finding that 337 of them died during that time. After comparing the mortality and coffee-consumption data, researchers discovered that:

• Participants who drank at least four portions of coffee daily had a 64% lower risk of death from any cause compared with those who never or almost never drank coffee.
• For every two additional portions of coffee consumed, risk of death from any cause was lowered by 22%.
• When the participants were grouped by age, the association between additional coffee consumption and reduced mortality was only significant in those age 45 and older: for participants in this age group, every two additional portions of coffee per day reduced the risk of death from any cause by 30%.

These findings are preceded by other research that has also found coffee drinkers may have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and Parkinson’s disease. So coffee lovers, enjoy! According to these findings, your drink of choice may help extend your life—among other health perks—and the benefits could get better as you age.

Source: European Society of Cardiology