Coffee is good, but adding sugar is counterproductive
Adding sugar and fat takes away the benefits inherent in coffee (Photo: Unsplash).
The team analyzed data from 46,332 Americans aged 20 and older who participated in national health surveys over a period of 9 to 11 years. During the follow-up period, 7,074 deaths were recorded.
When compared with coffee consumption habits, the results showed: Coffee drinkers had a lower risk of death, especially if they drank black coffee or had very low levels of sugar and fat in their coffee.
Adding too much sugar or cream can negate the biological benefits of coffee, says Bingjie Zhou, PhD, an epidemiologist at Tufts University and lead author of the study.
“Our study is one of the first to specifically quantify the amounts of sweeteners and saturated fat added to coffee, and assess their effects on mortality risk,” said Zhou.
Specifically, the analysis results showed that: People who drink 2-3 cups of black coffee a day can reduce the risk of early death by 14% compared to people who do not drink coffee. In contrast, in the group of people who add more cream, milk or sugar, this risk reduction is no longer statistically significant.
Additionally, the longevity effect was not seen in the decaffeinated coffee group, suggesting that it is the caffeine and natural bioactive compounds in coffee that are responsible for the benefits.
Should drink pure coffee
Health experts recommend drinking pure coffee or only lightly diluted coffee to maximize health benefits (Photo: Getty).
Despite adjusting for several factors that influence mortality, such as age, sex, physical activity level, education level, and alcohol consumption, the authors assert that the study cannot prove a definitive causal relationship between coffee drinking and longevity.
This is because there may be unknown variables that simultaneously relate both coffee drinking and mortality.
However, according to Professor Fang Fang Zhang, a member of the research team, this discovery is still very practical, especially when nearly 50% of adults in the US consume at least one cup of coffee per day.
"Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world . Understanding its health impacts, including what we add to it, is important," Zhang stressed.
Instead of using coffee as a vehicle to indulge in cream, milk and sugar, health experts urge consumers to drink coffee pure or only lightly diluted to maximize health benefits.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/khoa-hoc/uong-ca-phe-dung-cach-giup-tang-tuoi-tho-20250630103514582.htm
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