The review included twenty studies of coffee consumption and total mortality, including 129,538 cases of deaths among the 973,904 participants.
The results support a significant inverse (i.e. favourable) association between coffee consumption and risk of death. Overall, the risk of death decreased by 14% for high (5–6 cups per day) versus no or low (less than 1 cup per day) coffee consumption. Even consumption of one or two cups of coffee daily was associated with a lower risk of death (reduced by 8 %). Similar inverse associations were found for men and women, and limited data also suggested an inverse association between decaffeinated coffee consumption and total mortality.
Recent research on coffee and mortality
This new paper adds to the body of research on this topic. One study2 suggested a 21% increased mortality rate in those drinking more than 28 cups of coffee a week, with a greater than 50% increased mortality risk in both men and women younger than 55 years of age. However, another study3 in a multi-ethnic urban population indicated that drinking coffee, and tea, may be protective against all cause mortality. This was supported by another meta-analysis and systematic review4, published earlier this year, which assessed 23 studies and concluded that coffee consumption is inversely related to the risk of mortality from all causes.
To date, the available scientific evidence does not support an unfavourable relationship between moderate coffee consumption and mortality risk.
