Are You One of Millions Drinking Coffee Daily? New research indicates that your daily coffee may help extend your lifespan. In a study published by Journal of Nutrition researchers found that black and coffee with limited added sugar and saturated fat was linked with lower death risks compared to those who didn’t consume any coffee at all; this benefit disappeared when people doctored up their beverage with an abundance of added sugar or cream.

Researchers used a large, population-based cohort study of nearly 470,000 people over 10 years, who answered questions regarding how much coffee, sugar and calories they were consuming daily as part of their diet and their caffeine consumption habits. Coffee drinking was associated with lower rates of death from all causes as well as cardiovascular disease deaths; however, its benefits became reduced if someone consumed over three cups a day of sweetened coffee beverages.

Researchers considered factors like gender, age, diet and smoking/ex-smoking status of participants when designing the study. Furthermore, they considered whether an individual was overweight or obese as being overweight can negatively impact health. Researchers then examined four-year weight changes related to changes in coffee/sugar habits; adding more sugar led to an increase in weight gain while increasing unsweetened coffee helped decrease it modestly.

While these findings are exciting, it’s important to keep in mind that coffee should be consumed moderately. On average, American adults drink two 8-ounce (240-milliliter) cups containing 120 to 180 milligrams of caffeine each day – enough to cause small increases in heart rate and blood pressure as well as disrupt sleep if consumed late at night. Furthermore, children shouldn’t drink coffee as this could stunt their development.

Green tea offers another healthy beverage option similar to coffee in terms of caffeine content and antioxidant content, helping fight disease while having no fat and fewer calories compared to traditional cups of coffee with sugar and cream added.

Bottom line, drinking coffee within reason is perfectly acceptable, provided you avoid sugar and cream. If adding dairy, try selecting low-fat options such as nondairy creamer or skim milk. Also avoid flavored varieties which often contain added sugar as well as unhealthy fat and calories; MD Anderson’s Tilton recommends limiting daily added sugar to no more than 36 grams (9 teaspoons for men) and 25 grams (6 teaspoons) respectively.