Which Helps You Live Longer: Sweetened or Unsweetened Coffee?

If you are looking for another reason to justify your addiction to coffee — and we just know you are — we have a good one.

Those who drink either sugar-sweetened or unsweetened coffee might be extending their lifespan, according to a study recently published in Annals of Internal Medicine, a scientific journal from the American College of Physicians (ACP).

Compared with those who do not drink coffee, folks who consume moderate amounts of black or sugar-sweetened joe were less likely to die during a seven-year follow-up period, the study authors say.

The study was based on an analysis of self-reported data on more than 171,000 adults from the United Kingdom who had no known history of cancer or heart disease at the start of the study.

The study is not the first to find a link between guzzling java and a reduced risk of death. But this study was unique in that it tried to sort out differences in the benefits for those who drink their coffee black, and those who consume it with sugar or artificial sweeteners.

As it turns out, both black and sugar-sweetened coffee seem to work just fine for protecting you from an earlier demise. However, the results were inconclusive regarding whether coffee with artificial sweetener offers the same advantage.

According to an ACP press release about the study:

“The authors found that during the 7-year follow-up period, participants who drank any amount of unsweetened coffee were 16 to 21 percent less likely to die than participants who did not drink coffee. They also found that participants who drank 1.5 to 3.5 daily cups of coffee sweetened with sugar were 29 to 31 percent less likely to die than participants who did not drink coffee.”

The ACP also notes that study participants who sweetened their coffee with sugar used only 1 teaspoon per cup, on average — which is much less than is found in specialty drinks at popular coffee chains.

The organization concludes:

“Based on this data, clinicians can tell their patients that there is no need for most coffee drinkers to eliminate the beverage from their diet but to be cautious about higher calorie specialty coffees.”

For more news about how to live longer, check out “7 Fatal Health Mistakes People Make After Age 50.”