Two articles recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggest that moderate coffee consumption can contribute to longer life.

The two studies pulled research from more than 705,000 combined participants who answered questions about their coffee drinking habits. Researchers followed up after 16 years and found that higher coffee intake was associated with lower risk of death in all 10 European countries where research participants lived. The potential health benefits emerged regardless of the coffee being caffeinated or decaffeinated.

Coffee is one of the top beverages of choice in the world, the study also found, with 2.25 billion cups consumed daily worldwide.

But avoid adding sugar, creamer and other add-ins to benefit from the potential health benefits, according to Seton Healthcare Family officials.

Ryan Ince, a doctor with Seton Family of Doctors Plus Express Care, estimated that three to five cups of black coffee a day, along with proper diet and exercise, could be the ingredients to a healthy lifestyle.

“Drinking coffee could have health benefits because it can help reduce inflammation, which many chronic diseases are linked to,” Ince said.

Looking for a good cup of coffee? Try one of these local coffee shops:



The map is not comprehensive.