Arabica, Robusta, Excelsa... coffee occupies a special place in the lives of the French: 62% of the population consume it every morning for breakfast according to an Ifop survey for C10, published in October 2018. But sipping several "little blacks" during the day, is it a healthy habit?
Yes, answers the scientific community;
healthy and even protective.
A team of researchers from Southern Medical University in Guangzhou (China) recently observed a link between daily coffee consumption and a lower risk of premature death.
Their study, published Tuesday, May 31 in the medical journal
Annals of Internal Medicine,
even suggests that the moderate addition of sugar does not alter the protective effects of the beverage.
Drinkers saw their risk of early death reduced from one and a half cups a day.
Read alsoHow many coffees can you drink during the day?
Between 2.5 and 4.5 cups of coffee to reduce his risk of premature death
To arrive at this result, the scientists used the UK Biobank's biomedical database and selected information from 171,616 British participants, aged 37 to 73.
They had no history of cardiovascular disease or cancer.
The data was collected for seven years, between 2009 and 2018. At the end of this period, the researchers closely studied the death certificates of 3177 participants.
After taking into account factors such as age, gender, smoking status, physical activity, body mass index and diet, the team found that compared to non-drinkers, people who drink unsweetened coffee have lower risks of death from all causes.
More specifically, when they drink between 2.5 and 4.5 cups a day, consumers are 29 to 31% less likely to die prematurely over the next few years.
The trend was also confirmed among lovers of sweet coffee, drinking between 1.5 and 3.5 cups per day (28% risk reduction).
On the other hand, for reasons that the researchers still do not know, individuals who used artificial sweeteners instead of sugar did not show a significant reduction in the risk of early death.
In video, 5 ways to use coffee other than as a drink
The key role of antioxidants
According to Astrid Nehlig, research director emeritus at the National Institute for Medical Research (Inserm), who was able to consult the results, these conclusions only confirm what had already been established by the scientific community.
"Drinking 3 to 5 coffees daily has been shown to be the optimal consumption to reduce the risk of cardiovascular accidents, all-cause mortality and, to a lesser extent, to reduce the risk of certain types of cancers", informs the specialist. .
3 to 5 daily coffees is the optimal consumption to reduce the risk of cardiovascular accidents
Astrid Nehlig, Emeritus Research Director at Inserm
To what do we owe this protective effect?
At the right dose of caffeine, this molecule with stimulating properties?
This is the other surprise of this study: whether the coffee is instant, ground, or even decaffeinated, the benefits on longevity are the same.
As Astrid Nehlig explains, if caffeine helps to increase our vigilance and therefore reduce the risk of accidents, when the beverage is devoid of it, it retains a major asset for health: its antioxidants.
"These protect cells from aging, limit DNA breakage and reduce tissue inflammation," says the Inserm research director.
Read also"Impossible to start my day without a coffee": belief or reality?
Limits
However, Astrid Nehlig has some reservations about the results of this work.
“This is an observational study, the results of which need to be deepened by further work.
The findings can also be explained by other lifestyle factors such as a balanced diet, observes the specialist.
It is also worth noting that the sample studied is British and therefore also a consumer of tea, another valuable source of antioxidants.
Scientists also urge caution about the amount of sugar slipped into coffee.
Study participants reported a moderate addition, just over a teaspoon.
Nothing to do, therefore, with the quantities found in commercially purchased beverages.
In their columns, our colleagues from the
New York Times
warned about drinks from the Starbucks brand.
According to their information, a large Caramel Macchiato, for example, contains 25 grams of sugar, which is about five times as much sugar as a cup of sugary coffee in the study.
What make you want to confine yourself to "homemade".
