Coffee May Lower Death Risk from Prolonged Sitting

Spending years seated in an office chair or on a couch can lead to serious long-term health risks, but enjoying a regular cup of coffee may help counteract these negative effects.

Daily coffee drinkers in a study of over 10,000 U.S. participants may be shielded from the negative impacts of sitting for six or more hours a day.

Compared to non-coffee drinkers who sit as much, those who drink coffee are 1.58 times less likely to die from any cause up to 13 years later.

Researchers from Soochow University in China claim their study is the first to assess how coffee’s health benefits might counterbalance the heightened mortality risk linked to extended sitting.

Coffee Consumption Breaks the Link Between Sedentary Lifestyle and Mortality

By analyzing comprehensive, long-term U.S. health data, the researchers discovered that coffee consumption effectively negates the link between sedentary behavior and mortality from cardiovascular diseases and all causes.

This is remarkable, especially since other studies indicate that even regular exercise might not completely protect against the adverse long-term health effects of prolonged sitting, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, or stroke.

Among the 10,639 study participants, those who sat more than eight hours daily had a higher risk of death from all causes and cardiovascular disease compared to those who sat for fewer than four hours a day.

This aligns with prior research, but what’s truly novel is this: the negative effects of sitting were observed “only among adults who did not drink coffee.”

Participants leading a sedentary lifestyle who consumed coffee showed a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease-related death, regardless of their daily coffee intake.

High Coffee Intake Linked to Lower Mortality Risk in Sedentary Individuals

Furthermore, those who drank the most coffee (over two and a half cups per day) experienced a lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to non-coffee drinkers who also sat for at least six hours daily.

The study doesn’t explain why coffee may protect against the harms of sitting, but previous large-scale research has linked coffee consumption to longer and healthier lives overall.

Caffeine has been found to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular diseases.

Even decaffeinated coffee, rich in antioxidants, can help enhance metabolism and reduce inflammation. Compounds in coffee might also safeguard the brain against degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.

These associations are encouraging, though the specifics of coffee’s health benefits, such as optimal dosage, require further investigation.

Earlier this year, a study revealed that individuals with colorectal cancer who consumed at least five cups of coffee daily had a 32% lower risk of cancer recurrence compared to those who drank fewer than two cups a day.

Additionally, the same study discovered that drinking three to five cups of coffee per day was linked to the greatest reduction in overall mortality. However, benefits declined for those consuming more than five cups.

Researchers at Soochow University concluded that “further research is needed to explore this remarkable compound” due to the complexity of coffee.

Read the original article on: Science Alert

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