Drinking it is associated with longevity, even when sweetened with sugar

More and more studies are highlighting the benefits of coffee. The drink was once considered a vice and something to avoid. However, a new study shows that consuming manageable amounts of coffee has its benefits, especially when it comes to cardiovascular health.

The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, shows how beneficial coffee is, even when sugar is factored in. Researchers in the UK found that those who consumed coffee daily had a lower risk of dying than non-coffee drinkers.

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The study looked at data from 120,000 people, with an average age of 57, who drank sweetened or unsweetened coffee for over seven years. Participants who drank their coffee sweetened had a teaspoon of sugar per cup of coffee and still had a 16 to 21% lower risk of death compared to those who didn’t drink any coffee at all.

Unsweetened coffee drinkers had a 29 to 31% lower risk of death compared to non-coffee drinkers.

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Despite the encouraging evidence, the researchers had no way of knowing whether their findings were driven by coffee or by an outside factor; Either the health benefits of coffee could trigger this response, or coffee drinkers could have better health care and more time to exercise, and thus have longer lifespans.

While this study isn’t meant to be a license to drink just any high-calorie coffee drink, it’s a gentle reminder of the benefits of coffee — and proof that a little sugar doesn’t hurt much.