Have a cup of coffee!

Research published in The Journal of Nutrition found that coffee consumption was inversely associated with all-cause mortality in a dose-dependent manner, with each additional cup associated with a 7% reduction in mortality risk. This study involved 2,461 participants with 11 year follow-up.

In another study published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2012 also found a dose-dependent inverse association between coffee consumption and all-cause mortality. But the risk reduction appeared to plateau at around five cups of coffee per day. The study involved 229,119 men and 173,141 women.

For men, compared to those who drank no coffee, there was a 6% reduction in mortality for those drinking one cup per day; 10% for two to three cups per day; 12% for four to five cups per day and 10% for those drinking six or more cups per day.

For women there was a mortality risk reduction of 5% for one cup per day; 13% for two to three per day; 16% for four to five cups per day and 15% for six or more cups per day.

In terms of cause-specific mortality, the study found an inverse association between coffee consumption and deaths due to heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, diabetes, infections, and accidents and injuries.

The AARP Diet and Health Study also found that the amount of coffee consumed correlated negatively with risk of death and that those who drank any coffee lived longer than those who did not.

Meanwhile, according to Cancer Research UK, drinking coffee had no effect on the risk of dying from cancer

Other studies suggest coffee consumption reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease, dementia,Parkinson's disease, heart disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,cirrhosis and gout.

Perhaps this is due to the presence of antioxidants in coffee which can prevent free radicals from causing cell damage.

However, excessive amounts of coffee can cause very unpleasant and even life-threatening adverse effects. For example, caffeine, a main active component of coffee, can cause anxiety, especially in high doses. And coffee consumption can also lead to iron deficiency anemia by interfering with iron absorption, especially in mothers and infants.