Coffee Lowers Your Risk of Death By 14%—If You Drink It Like This, New Study Finds

For many, myself included, coffee is the most important meal of the day. On its own, black coffee isn’t bad for you and actually promotes many health benefits—but what you add to your daily cup of Joe can have dire consequences. Flavored creamer fanatics, we’re looking at you.

“Coffee is a beverage that contains caffeine and antioxidants, both of which have been proven to possess neuroprotective properties,” Krutika Nanavati, RDN, a registered dietitian and nutritionist, and a medical advisor at Clinicspots, previously explained to Best Life. “Coffee consumption has been linked to enhanced cognitive abilities, including memory, attention, and processing skills. It stimulates the central nervous system, promotes alertness, and reduces the perception of fatigue.”

So, keeping all those benefits in mind, it’s no surprise that coffee can also lower your risk of death. This theory is explored in a new study published in The Journal of Nutrition that highlights how you prepare your coffee is just as important.

RELATED: Women Who Drink This Much Coffee Live Longer, Healthier Lives, 30-Year Study Finds.

Research says opting for low-sugar, low-fat coffee additives can prolong your life.

Trying to cut back on cream and sugar? Here’s another incentive for drinking black coffee: It’s a longevity booster.

Researchers from Tufts University analyzed the mortality risks of drinking coffee black vs. pumping coffee with additives containing high amounts of added sugar and saturated fat. (Coffee-Mate and International Delight are known to have lots of added sugar and ultra-processed ingredients.) Their findings show that plain coffee can lower the risk of death by at least 14 percent.

“Coffee is among the most-consumed beverages in the world, and with nearly half of American adults reporting drinking at least one cup per day, it’s important for us to know what it might mean for health,” Fang Fang Zhang, PhD, study author and professor of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, said in a news release.

RELATED: Doctor Says to “Avoid These Energy Drinks Like the Plague.”

Drinking two cups of coffee per day can reduce death risk by 17 percent.

The observational study involved 46,000 adults (ages 20 and up), whose coffee drinking habits were analyzed and linked to National Death Index Mortality Data. A total of 7,074 participants died over a median follow-up period of 9.3 to 11.3 years. For the purpose of this study, cause of death was categorized as all-cause, cancer (1,176 deaths), and cardiovascular disease (1,089 deaths).

Coffee consumption was stipulated by three factors: type (caffeinated or decaffeinated), saturated fat content, and the amount of sugar.

Low saturated fat was defined as five percent or less of the Daily Value guidelines (one gram per eight-ounce cup). This equates to “five tablespoons of 2% milk, one tablespoon of light cream, or one tablespoon of half-and-half.”

Low added sugar was defined as less than five percent of the Daily Value guidelines (2.5 grams per eight-ounce cup). This equates to one teaspoon of sugar, honey, or syrup.

Results indicate that drinking black coffee can lower death risk by at least 14 percent. More specifically, the risk of all-cause mortality was reduced by 16 percent among individuals who drank at minimum one cup of coffee per day. Furthermore, that number increased to 17 percent at an intake of two to three cups per day.

“Mortality benefits were restricted to black coffee and coffee with low added sugar and saturated fat content,” wrote the authors.

“The health benefits of coffee might be attributable to its bioactive compounds, but our results suggest that the addition of sugar and saturated fat may reduce the mortality benefits,” explained Zhang.

Additionally, drinking three or more cups per day “was not associated with additional reductions.” In fact, doing so actually worsened the relationship between mortality risk and cardiovascular disease.

RELATED: Doctor Warns Never to Buy These 4 Foods From Costco: “Diabetes Bomb Sprinkled With Heart Disease.”

The takeaway:

Training your tastebuds to favor black coffee over high-fat, sugary coffee beverages is worth the challenge.

“Few studies have examined how coffee additives could impact the link between coffee consumption and mortality risk, and our study is among the first to quantify how much sweetener and saturated fat are being added,” author Bingjie Zhou, a recent PhD graduate from the nutrition epidemiology and data science program at the Friedman School, said in the release.

Not ready to go cold turkey? Try replacing your creamer with unsweetened plant-based options that contain almond, soy, or oat milk instead.

“Opting for a coffee creamer that has less sugar and saturated fat can benefit your blood sugar first thing in the morning, giving you more stable energy throughout the day, in addition to supporting your overall metabolic health,” Kaytee Hadley, RDN, functional medicine dietitian and founder of Holistic Health and Wellness, previously told Best Life.

Michael Chichak, MD, medical director at MEDvidi, added: “For those who take their coffee sweeter, a sprinkle of natural sweeteners such as honey or pure maple syrup serves as the optimal alternative.”