Water companies extol the virtues of drinking water instead of coffee and cite statistics that support how much better it is for you. Now the tables have turned. Contrary to popular belief, recent studies have found that coffee has some remarkable and surprising health benefits. In fact coffee might just lengthen your life and make you happier.

 

Whatever experts might have said about coffee in the past, it was never going to stop us from drinking it. Coffee is a pick-me-up, a motivator, a social event, a tradition and an institution – and it tastes good too. But now it seems you can pop into your local coffee shop or fill up your cafetière with confidence that it might actually do you some good.

 

A 2012 study published by the New England Journal of Medicine revealed the following: that people aged 50 to 71 who drink at least one cup of coffee a day are at less risk than non-drinkers of dying from diabetes, heart disease and other conditions. This may be due to the presence of health-promoting antioxidants in coffee.

 

In addition, many of us would already argue that a good cup of coffee boosts our mood and gets our day off to a good start. But the Harvard School of Public Health has actually made a positive correlation between coffee and a reduced risk of depression. In a ten year study, they tracked 50,000 women and found that those drinking four or more cups of caffeinated coffee a day were 20% less likely to develop depression than non-drinkers.

 

Another recent Harvard-led study found that coffee can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. They surveyed 120,000 men and women and found that those who increased their daily coffee intake by one cup were 11% less likely to develop the disease than those whose coffee intake remained the same. Conversely, they found that those who decreased their daily intake by one cup were 17% more likely to develop the disease.

 

So don’t feel guilty. Go have another coffee.