According to research published in the journal BioMed Central (BMC) Public Health, individuals who do not drink coffee and sit for six or more hours daily face a nearly 60% higher risk of death compared to coffee drinkers who sit for less than six hours. This finding suggests an elevated mortality risk among sedentary non-coffee drinkers, while coffee drinkers did not show the same increased risk over a study period of up to 13 years involving more than 10,000 adults in the US.
Researchers at the School of Public Health at Soochow University's Medical College in China discovered that coffee drinkers who lead sedentary lifestyles face a 24% lower risk of death compared to non-coffee drinkers who sit for at least six hours daily. This finding, which was not originally included in the study, was computed upon the request of The Washington Post, as reported by the media outlet.
"The benefits of coffee consumption in improving overall survival in adults compared to sedentary behaviour are manifold," the authors wrote in the study.
Consuming coffee lowers the risk of metabolic problems known to worsen inflammation, which contributes to heightening death risks because of sedentary behaviour, they said.
In their research, the authors observed a 33% reduction in the overall risk of mortality among a quarter of participants who consumed the highest quantities of coffee, in comparison to those who did not drink coffee. These findings align with previous studies indicating that increased coffee consumption is associated with decreased risks of mortality from both all causes and heart disease.
Compounds present in coffee, including caffeine and polyphenols, are anti-inflammatory in nature. However, how exactly coffee works in the body to lower risk of dying is still unclear, the researchers said.
Further, the team also found that sitting for more than eight hours a day was linked with over 40 per cent higher risk of death from any cause and almost 80 per cent higher risk of dying due to heart disease.
For their analysis, the researchers used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which follows Americans' health and nutrition.
"Given that coffee is a complex compound, further research is needed to explore this miracle compound," the authors wrote.
(with PTI inputs)
ALSO READ: Managing gestational diabetes early in pregnancy could prevent complications: Study
