Coffee drinkers have a reduced risk of dying young, according to a recent study.
More than 171,000 Brits were tracked over nine years, and it was found that regular coffee drinkers were a third less likely to die young.
Both sweetened and unsweetened coffee was associated with lower death risk, according to the study which was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
It was also found that instant, ground and decaf versions of coffee were all linked to the reduced risk.
Dr Dan Liu, from Southern Medical University in China, said: “Our study found that adults who drank moderate amounts of coffee sweetened with sugar every day were about 30 per cent less likely to die from any cause compared to non-coffee drinkers.”
Moderate amounts, would be 1.5 to 3.5 cups per day, according to the study, with more than 4.5 cups of sweetened coffee every day being considered excessive.
The study also clarified that sweetened coffee only had one teaspoon of sugar per cup on average.
The findings revealed that participants who drank moderate amounts of coffee that was sweetened with sugar were 29 to 31 percent less likely to die than participants who did not drink coffee.
Unsweetened coffee was still considered to provide the greatest benefits, as they were 16 to 21 percent less likely to die than participants who did not drink coffee - regardless of their intake.
Dr Christina Wee, deputy editor of the journal, said: “Coffee is believed to contribute to the body's antioxidant effects through both caffeine and chlorogenic acids.
“For unsweetened coffee, those who had approximately three cups per day had the lowest risk.
“Among consumers of sugar-sweetened coffee, those having approximately two cups a day had the lowest risk.”
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