people who drink coffee live longer

Question

Seeing this claim at first, I was skeptical, as a coffee drinker myself, I have seen claims of both positive and negative affects of drinking coffee. Knowing that there can be negative effects of caffeine consumption, I decided to look into the positive claims I have heard.

Studies done by Edward Giovanucci, Professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard, performed a study on the nutritional benefits of drinking coffee. In his research, Giovanucci concluded after his 10 year study, that coffee drinkers are 14% less likely to experience health problems and issues than those who do not drink coffee.

A study performed by the American Medical Association's JAMA medical researchers concluded that over a 10 year period, coffee drinkers were 10-15% less likely to die, whether they drank decaf or regular coffee, and if they drank 1 or 8 cups per day.

Answer 1

In this article by the New York Presbyterian Health Matters, the claim is that “A study of nearly 500,000 British adults over a 10-year period showed that those who drank coffee were likely to live longer than non-coffee drinkers.” They included everything involving medical histories as well to get a full-rounded picture. Research shows that coffee contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that could be useful in reducing cancer risks and general aging. They also claim that people who drink 7-8 cups of coffee a day are more likely to live longer than people who only drink a couple of cups a day. So the more coffee, the better. 

In another article by Healthline, they claim that out of 402,260 people aged 50–71 “The sweet spot appeared to be a coffee intake of 4–5 cups per day. At this quantity, men and women had a 12% and 16 % reduced risk of early death, respectively. Drinking 6 or more cups per day provided no additional benefit.” There is no factual research proving that the more coffee you drink, the longer you will live. Even drinking just one cup a day causes a 5-6% decreased risk of dying early. 

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-coffee-makes-you-live-longer#longevity

What is it about coffee that decreases the risk of death?

A quote from PubMed Central: “Coffee is rich in polyphenols, a group of compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity which can be divided according to their chemical structure into flavonoids and non-flavonoids [15,16]. Some meta-analyses have shown that flavonoids and some non-flavonoids such as lignans with weak estrogen-like activity may have beneficial effects against cardiovascular disease and some cancers [15], although more evidence on specific compounds is still needed.” 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8070495/#:~:text=The%20mechanisms%20by%20which%20coffee,components%20%5B10%2C11%5D.

There is a close association with a decreased risk of diabetes. The polyphenols found in coffee are rich in antioxidants which neutralize the free radicals, which are defined as “highly reactive and unstable molecules that are made by the body naturally as a byproduct of normal metabolism” (https://www.verywellhealth.com/information-about-free-radicals-2249103#:~:text=Free%20radicals%20are%20highly%20reactive,and%20ultraviolet%20(UV)%20light.)

These antioxidants reduce the risk of heart disease, and the minerals chromium and magnesium (also found in coffee) are found to increase insulin sensitivity and promote turning glucose into energy. These studies are found in the long-term effects of drinking coffee, not temporarily. “Higher coffee consumption was associated with lower levels of CRP and leptin, pro-inflammatory markers, and higher levels of interleukin-13 and adiponectin concentrations, which have anti-inflammatory effects.” (https://www.healthline.com/health-news/a-daily-coffee-may-reduce-your-type-2-diabetes-risk#Enjoy-your-coffee-but-don-t-rely-on-it) It is important to make sure to drink filtered or espresso coffee for the best effects.

Comments

This is a very good fact check. You provided detailed information to back up your claim and labeled your sources. You also clearly stated why you believe this claim is true.

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Hello, I want to commend you for going well above and beyond what is needed to fact-check. This fact check includes multiple pieces of data, and all the links to the sources worked. It also includes various pieces of additional evidence that add more context.

Answer 2

JAMA internal medicine is published by the American Medical Association which is an international peer-reviewed journal. The study used multiple participants to help analyze their theory if people who drank coffee would live longer than those who did not. This gives credibility since they're using multiple people from different backgrounds. Dr. Rekha B. Kumar is also credible since she's an associate professor of clinical medicine and she's an endocrinologist who specializes in various endocrine disorders. Throughout the article it talks about the benefits of coffee and the positive effects it can have on the body. With "potentially reducing and repairing cell damage and potentially decreasing inflammation". But in another article, Frank Hu states, "But Hu noted that many participants in those studies also smoked". Coffee does have benefits for the body and helps with reducing cell damage and inflammation. But we cannot know for sure if coffee allows people to live longer.

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/is-coffee-good-or-bad-for-your-health/#:~:text=Hu%20said%20that%20moderate%20coffee,their%20risk%20of%20early%20death.

Answer 3

The claim that "people who drink coffee live longer" by New York Presbyterian is supported by evidence but cannot be fully true. According to the article moderate coffee consumption is linked to longevity due to antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects. A study by Harvard research adds that both caffeinated and decaf coffee, in various forms, are associated with a lower risk of early death, citing a 14% reduction in mortality for heavy coffee drinkers. While not conclusive, both sources suggest a correlation between coffee and longevity. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/coffee-longer-life/

Comments

This is a very good fact check. Your sources are clearly labeled and you provided good details about the claim. To add on to it, you could expand on why you think this claim is misleading because it seems like your sources point towards the claim being true.

Answer 4

The claim "People who drink coffee live longer" is supported by Healthline. This source explains to what extent coffee improves your lifespan. The article states people who drink 4-5 cups per day have a "12% and 16% reduced risk of early death," and people who drink one cup of coffee per day have a "5-6% lowered risk of early death." This source is credible because the content was taken from scientific evidence and fact-checked. Another study that supports this claim is Harvard School of Public Health. They ran a 10 year study and analyzed half a million people, and noticed the more coffee people drank the lower their risk of dying was. 

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-coffee-makes-you-live-longer

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/coffee-longer-life/

Answer 5

Coffee does positively impact your health, even considering the caffeine. It’s a surprising fact, as we normally hear the opposite. Coffee lowers your chance of dying, seemingly due to the antioxidants or to its high amounts of polyphenols. At least three different studies have confirmed this and Healthline has an article on it, as well as Harvard Health. Coffee also lessens your chances of having Alzheimer's, Parkinson’s, Type II Diabetes, liver disease, and cardiovascular disease. It seems to lower your risk of depression and suicide. Overall, this claim is true.

Answer 6

The claim that people who drink coffee live longer is true. Coffee has been known to have many different health benefits. In an article titled "How Does Coffee Affect Patient Health" published by AMA Ed Hub it is stated that, "15 percent reduction in all cardiovascular disease, and a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes and acute and chronic kidney disease. Studies also show that greater amounts of habitual coffee consumption were associated with a lower risk of arrhythmia." These benefits are generally attributed to the polyphenols present in coffee, acting as anti-inflammatories and antioxidants. In another article titled, "Coffee and Longevity: Do Coffee Drinkers Live Longer," Healthline stated, "The sweet spot appeared to be a coffee intake of 4-5 cups per day. At this quantity, men and women had a 12% an 16% reduced risk of early death, respectively." For all of these reasons, the claim that coffee can help a person live linger is true. 

https://edhub.ama-assn.org/pages/how-coffee-affects-patient-health?utm_campaign=alwayson-google-paid_ad-dsas&gbraid=0AAAAACrZhk4qh6gPzLJLhIwZjEMmCdM8n&gclid=Cj0KCQjwveK4BhD4ARIsAKy6pMKbaG7-o9A6qg7GF6mgrQRXOcw321QH-ZmgiIElMNyUIkTAeFWQSnoaAk0mEALw_wcB

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-coffee-makes-you-live-longer#longevity