Our results align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommend limiting added sugar and saturated fat.
Drinking black coffee may help you live longer, according to a new study from Tufts University. Researchers analyzed health and diet data from 46,000 U.S. adults collected between 1999 and 2018, linking it to mortality records. They found that consuming at least one cup of caffeinated black coffee daily was associated with a 16% lower risk of death from all causes—rising to 17% with 2–3 cups.
“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 mortality benefits,” said epidemiologist Fang Fang Zhang.
Adding cream, milk, or sugar appeared to blunt coffee’s protective effects. Those who drank black coffee or coffee with minimal additives still saw a 14% reduced risk of death.
“Our results align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommend limiting added sugar and saturated fat,” said nutrition epidemiologist Bingjie Zhou.
Researchers noted limitations, including self-reported data and low decaf consumption.