The research aimed to “evaluate the association of consumption of sugar-sweetened, artificially sweetened, and unsweetened coffee with all-cause and cause-specific mortality.”
The participants were from ages 37 to 73 without cardiovascular disease or cancer, with the mean age being 55.6.
The article Conclusion states, “moderate consumption of unsweetened and sugar-sweetened coffee was associated with lower risk for death.” Compared with non-consumers of coffee, those who drink three cups per day have the lowest mortality risk.
However, since “this is an observational study, there could be other lifestyle factors that reduce the risk of mortality, such as a healthy diet or consistent exercising,” Dr. Zheng Jie from the University of Tokyo told The Epoch Times.
Research has found that another benefit of drinking coffee is a reduction in the risk of gout.
A genome-wide association study (GWAS) in the National Defense Medical College and Osaka University found that drinking coffee could help reduce gout risk. Researchers are optimistic that analyzing the ingredients of coffee could help in developing ways to prevent gout.
Also, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected people’s habits, causing increased stress, weight gain, and other lifestyle diseases. If uric acid levels remain high (hyperuricaemia), gout and intense joint pain can occur in certain people.
The research team studied the correlation between the consumption of coffee and gout risk among more than 150,000 people; and data on the amount of coffee consumed, and uric acid levels and gout risk were analyzed. The finding was that one extra day of drinking coffee could reduce gout risk by 25 percent for coffee drinkers. But the “changes in intake [of coffee] over time” might not have been captured.
Researchers also noted that some people are not prone to gout even with high uric acid levels, suggesting that there are other factors that influence gout risk.
Although what it is in coffee that causes changes in uric acid levels remains unclear, coffee has been observed to have a protective effect on gout patients. Further research could help in the development of gout medication.
Coffee is rich in many substances that have antioxidant, vasodilating, and metabolism boosting properties, including potassium, magnesium, niacin, vitamin B, chlorogenic acid, caffeine, polyphenol, and trigonelline. Dr. Zheng Jie recommends drinking a moderate amount of coffee daily, and says that 300 mg of caffeine is acceptable for adults to stay healthy and improve and prevent many diseases.
