#Middlebury #SeniorNewsLine
By Matilda Charles
Once again, studies have shown that drinking coffee helps us live longer. This time they’ve taken it a step farther – it doesn’t matter how you make it.
Neither of two new studies was small. In the first, researchers tracked 210,000 people in 10 European countries for some 16 years. Coffee drinkers had lower risk of liver disease, lower rates of diseases of the circulatory and digestive systems (in men) and lower rates of cancer (in women). That’s quite a list. Those who drank three cups per day had a lower risk than those who didn’t drink coffee at all, and it didn’t matter in which country.
One reason they chose Europe was the various methods of coffee preparation across the countries. The bottom line: It’s the coffee, not how it’s made.
The second study followed 185,000 people in two U.S. states for six years. The study was designed to compare the result of drinking coffee in whites versus nonwhites. In this research, participants across the board who drank 2 to 4 cups per day had an 18 percent lower risk of death. It didn’t matter whether or not the coffee had caffeine.
No matter which study you believe, the patterns are the same when it comes to drinking coffee – it can help extend your life.
Why do Europeans get more life-extending benefits than those in the U.S.? My guess: In Europe they take the time to savor the coffee, sitting in outdoor cafes, talking with friends, taking time to relax, and not just using caffeine as a jolt to start the day.
A caveat, however: Beware what you put in your coffee. If you add calorie-heavy creamers or flavored additives, you could be adding too much sugar to your diet.
(c) 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.
