If you're among the millions jonesin' for java each morning, you can now feel a bit more alive, along with the usual perkiness after sipping that next brew.
According to Men's Health, a recent study from Harvard University finds habitual coffee drinkers are less likely to die prematurely than those who abstain from the bean.
3 to 5 cups of caffeinated or decaf coffee daily, among nonsmokers, was discovered to decrease mortality of any cause up to 15 percent than those who did not consume coffee. These findings were amassed by a research study that followed 200,000 participants for almost 3 decades.
What gives? Well, for one, a powerful antioxidant called chlorogenic acid, which is super abundant in coffee, says study author Frank Hu, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H.
The study also revealed that among nonsmokers, those who drank 3 to 5 cups of regular or decaf coffee a day were 37 percent less likely to die from a neurodegenerative disease like Parkinson's, and 36 percent less likely to die from suicide, compared to nondrinkers.
That's because both diseases are brought on by inflammation, says Dr. Hu. And the chlorogenic acid in coffee may help decrease it throughout your body.
This component may also help explain the 19 percent reduction in heart disease and the 24 percent reduction in diabetes deaths the study found when comparing study participants who drank java and those who drank none.
The well-touted caffeine content in the beverage is also given high marks for health.
"Caffeine stimulates the production of dopamine, and the main problem with Parkinson's is a reduction in that," says Dr Hu.
It might also boost production of neurotransmitters in your brain, promoting an antidepressant effect that can protect against suicide.
Live long and java, gentlemen.
In more liquid well-being: Study Suggests Drinking Beer Makes You Better at Sex