While you’re probably not pouring your morning cup for the long-term health benefits, coffee consumption has been linked to lower risk of mortality.
But, in a new observational study, researchers from Tufts University found that the association between coffee consumption and mortality risk changes with the amount of sweeteners and saturated fat added to the beverage.
Published online in The Journal of Nutrition, the study found that consumption of 1-2 cups of caffeinated coffee per day was linked to a lower risk of death from all causes, and death from cardiovascular disease.
Compared to drinking no java, black coffee—as well as coffee with low levels of added sugar and saturated fat—were associated with a 14% lower risk of all-cause mortality. But, the same link was not observed for coffee with high amounts of added sugar and saturated fat.
“With nearly half of American adults reporting drinking at least one cup per day, it’s important for us to know what it might mean for health,” said Professor Fang Fang Zhang, senior author of the study.
“The health benefits of coffee might be attributable to its bioactive compounds, but our results suggest that the addition of sugar and saturated fat may reduce the benefits.”
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The study analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of 46,000 adults aged 20 years and older who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2018. Coffee consumption was categorized by type (caffeinated or decaffeinated), sugar, and saturated fat content.
Mortality outcomes was defined as all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
- Low amounts of sweetener (including granulated sugar, honey, or syrup) was defined as 2.5 grams per 8-ounce cup or approximately half a teaspoon.
- Low saturated fat (from milk, cream, or half-and-half) was defined as 1 gram per 8-ounce cup or the equivalent of 5 tablespoons of 2% milk, 1 tablespoon of light cream, or 1 tablespoon of half-and-half.
Consumption of at least one cup per day was associated with a 16% lower risk of all-cause mortality—while 2-3 cups per day saw the link rise slightly to 17%.
Consumption beyond three cups per day was not associated with added benefit. And, any benefit for a lower risk of cardiovascular death was weakened when the person drank more than three cups per day.
No associations were seen between coffee and cancer mortality.
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“Few studies have examined how coffee additives could impact the link between coffee consumption and mortality risk, and our study is among the first to quantify how much sweetener and saturated fat are being added,” said first author Bingjie Zhou, a recent Ph.D. graduate from the nutrition epidemiology and data science program.
The lack of significant links between decaffeinated coffee and all-cause mortality could be simply due to low consumption among this population studied.
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