--- title: The Link Between Coffee and a Longer Life description: New findings add to growing evidence that coffee may actually have some benefits canonical: https://time.com/4116129/coffee-longer-life/ author: Alexandra Sifferlin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-11-17T16:09:17.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:40:02.499Z article:section: Health og:title: The Link Between Coffee and a Longer Life og:description: New findings add to growing evidence that coffee may actually have some benefits og:url: https://time.com/4116129/coffee-longer-life/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte5391bed48ad3f0f/698872135f570f2c70b1e715/50-healthiest-foods-coffee.gif?branch=production&width=667&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 667 og:image:height: 375 og:image:alt: healthiest foods, health food, diet, nutrition, time.com stock, coffee og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Link Between Coffee and a Longer Life twitter:description: New findings add to growing evidence that coffee may actually have some benefits twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte5391bed48ad3f0f/698872135f570f2c70b1e715/50-healthiest-foods-coffee.gif?branch=production&width=667&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 01:00 video:published: 2015-11-17 section: health topics: coffee consumption, premature death risk, correlational studies, smoking as a confounder, income as a third variable, insulin resistance, heart disease, diabetes genre: news segment, science reporting tones: informative, measured, cautious emotions: curiosity (medium), reassurance (low), skepticism (low) sentiment: neutral audience: general news readers, health-conscious adults, coffee drinkers organizations: Circulation products: coffee content_suitability: death [00:18-00:24]; health controversy [00:36-00:59] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # How Coffee Can Help You Live Longer > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=5ba4bcb0-99c0-43cf-b529-e199e60d9f90&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Coffee Drinkers Might Live Longer Than Those Who Aren't [Watch (HLS stream): Coffee Drinkers Might Live Longer Than Those Who Aren't](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/hO3V9q6e.m3u8) (1:00)  _Published 2015-11-17. A new study found those who regularly drink coffee and don't smoke are 15 percent less likely to die prematurely._ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary A short news segment reports on a new study published in the journal Circulation that examined over 200,000 people over 30 years and found frequent coffee drinkers had lower risks of premature death. The segment notes that the lower risk held after smokers were removed from the calculations. It explains that the study is correlational, so coffee can only be linked to reduced risk, and that confounding factors such as income may play a role. The researchers also point to earlier studies suggesting direct benefits, such as lower insulin resistance. ## Key points - People who drink between one and five cups of coffee daily have a roughly 15% lower risk of mortality in general. (00:02) - The study examined more than 200,000 people over a 30-year span. (00:12) - Frequent coffee drinkers had a lower risk of dying from heart disease, diabetes, brain complications, and suicide. (00:18) - Regular coffee drinkers were also more likely to smoke. (00:24) - The 15% lower risk of death was found after researchers removed smokers from the calculations. (00:27) - As with all correlational studies, coffee can only be linked to reduced risks, not causing them. (00:36) - A third variable such as higher income could cause both coffee drinking and better health outcomes. (00:39) - Researchers noted previous studies where coffee had direct benefits, like helping lower insulin resistance. (00:50) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:36] Coffee and mortality study findings. The segment presents the study's findings on coffee intake and lower risk of death, including the effect after excluding smokers. - [00:36 to 01:00] Limits of the correlational findings. The segment explains the correlational nature of the study, possible confounding factors like income, and possible direct benefits of coffee. ## Key quotes - [00:36] interviewer: "As with all correlational studies, coffee can only be linked to reduce risks, not causing them." - [00:39] interviewer: "There could be a third variable causing both." - [00:42] interviewer: "For example, higher income." - [00:50] interviewer: "the researchers noted previous studies where coffee had direct benefits, like helping lower insulin resistance." ## Questions this video answers - Are people who drink coffee less likely to die early? [00:02] - How large was the study and how long did it run? [00:12] - Does the lower mortality risk still hold for non-smokers? [00:27] - Can the study prove that coffee causes lower risk of death? [00:36] - What other factors might explain the link between coffee and longevity? [00:39] ## Content suitability - death [00:18-00:24]: Discusses premature death and deaths from heart disease, diabetes, brain complications, and suicide in a research context. - health controversy [00:36-00:59]: Discusses the limits of correlational health research and possible confounding explanations for the findings. by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Nov 17, 2015 4:09 PM UTC A new study found those who regularly drink coffee and don't smoke are 15 percent less likely to die prematurely. by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Nov 17, 2015 4:09 PM UTC There’s great news for coffee lovers this week. A [new study](http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/early/2015/11/10/CIRCULATIONAHA.115.017341.abstract) published in the journal _Circulation_ found that regular coffee drinkers—people who drank less than five cups of coffee in a given day—have a lower risk of dying early from a number of different causes. That doesn’t necessarily mean that coffee is the answer to longevity. But the researchers found that those who drank coffee on a regular basis had a lower risk of dying during the study’s 30 year follow up from problems such as heart diseases, diabetes, brain conditions and suicide. The findings only show a link, and cannot confirm that coffee is directly responsible for the reduced risk of death from these causes, but the scientists report that the many compounds in coffee are known to help lower insulin resistance or inflammation, which could result in better health. **MORE:** [You Asked: Is Coffee Bad For Me?](http://time.com/3145435/is-coffee-bad-for-you/) The researchers studied several large groups of people totaling 208,500 men and women. They asked the volunteers about their coffee drinking habits every four years for the three decades. The connection between coffee consumption and a lower death risk was even more pronounced among people who never smoked. The researchers admit that the self-reports of coffee consumption aren’t completely reliable, and the study was not designed to find a direct health benefit from coffee. But, they argue, the link deserves more research to understand what might be driving it, since previous studies have isolated some potentially beneficial compounds, from antioxidants to inflammation fighting agents, in coffee. Interestingly, the researchers found the lower risk of death was similar among people who drank caffeinated as well as decaffeinated coffee. That suggests, the researchers write, that “other components in coffee besides caffeine might play a beneficial role mediating the association between long-term coffee consumption and risk of mortality.” The results are only the latest in a rehabilitation of coffee. For many years coffee was deemed unhealthy. [As TIME previously reported](http://time.com/3145435/is-coffee-bad-for-you/), much of that concern came from research in the 1970s and 1980s that linked coffee to higher rates of cancer and heart disease, but didn’t account for the fact that coffee drinkers are also more likely to smoke, possibly drink and engage in other behaviors that contribute to cancer and heart problems. More recent studies that account for these factors are starting to find the opposite, showing that coffee drinkers might have a slightly lower mortality risk. As with any food or behavior, however, it’s all about moderation. As long as you’re not overdoing it, says the study authors, “results from this and previous studies indicate that coffee consumption can be incorporated into a healthy lifestyle.” ## Transcript [00:00] This may make you reach for a cup of coffee even [00:02] after you're wide awake. A new study published in the [00:05] journal circulation found people who drink between [00:08] one and five cups of coffee daily have a roughly 15 % [00:12] lower risk of mortality in general. Researchers [00:15] examined more than 200, 000 People over a 30 year [00:18] span, and found frequent coffee drinkers had a lower [00:21] risk of dying from heart disease, diabetes, brain [00:24] complications, and suicide. Regular coffee drinkers [00:27] were also more likely to smoke. So the 15 % Percent [00:30] lower risk of death was found after the researchers [00:33] removed smokers from the calculations. As with all [00:36] correlational studies, coffee can only be linked to [00:39] reduce risks, not causing them. There could be a third [00:42] variable causing both. For example, higher income. [00:45] Which would help people afford more coffee and get [00:48] better nutrition and healthcare. However, the [00:50] researchers noted previous studies where coffee had [00:53] direct benefits, like helping lower insulin resistance. 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