Drinking one to three cups of coffee a day is linked to lower death risk—but only if it’s not overloaded with sugar and cream.
While you're probably not pouring your morning cup for the long-term health benefits, coffee consumption has been linked to lower risk of mortality. In a new observational study, researchers from Tufts University found the association between coffee consumption and mortality risk changes with the amount of sweeteners and saturated fat added to the beverage.
The study found that consumption of one to two cups of caffeinated coffee per day was linked to a lower risk of death from all causes and death from cardiovascular disease. Black coffee and coffee with low levels of added sugar and saturated fat were associated with a 14% lower risk of all-cause mortality as compared to no coffee consumption.
The same link was not observed for coffee with high amounts of added sugar and saturated fat.
About the study
The study analyzed data from nine consecutive cycles of the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2018, linked to National Death Index Mortality Data. It included a nationally representative sample of 46,000 adults aged 20 years and older who completed valid first-day 24-hour dietary recalls.
Coffee consumption was categorized by type (caffeinated or decaffeinated), sugar and saturated fat content.
Mortality outcomes included all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
Low added sugar (from granulated sugar, honey and syrup) was defined as under 5% of the Daily Value, which is 2.5 grams per 8-ounce cup or approximately half a teaspoon of sugar.
Low saturated fat (from milk, cream and half-and-half) was defined as 5% of the Daily Value, or 1 gram per 8-ounce cup or the equivalent of 5 tablespoons of 2% milk, 1 tablespoon of light cream or 1 tablespoon of half-and-half.
The findings
In the study, consumption of at least one cup of coffee per day was associated with a 16% lower risk of all-cause mortality. At two to three cups per day, the protective effect rose to 17%. Drinking more than three cups of coffee per day was not associated with additional benefit. The link between coffee intake and a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease weakened when coffee consumption was more than three cups per day.
No significant associations were seen between coffee consumption and cancer mortality.
Few studies have examined how coffee additives could impact the link between coffee consumption and mortality risk. The new study is among the first to quantify how much sweetener and saturated fat are being added.
Limitations of the study include the fact that self-reported recall data is subject to measurement error due to day-to-day variations in food intake. The lack of significant associations between decaffeinated coffee and all-cause mortality could be due to the low consumption among the population studied.
Source: The Journal of Nutrition, May 12, 2025.
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