If you sit for a long time, keep calm and drink coffee. It is good for health
A new study suggests that drinking coffee may reduce health risks associated with prolonged sitting. The research highlights coffee’s potential protective effects against cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.
Sitting in an office chair or on the couch for long periods of time can be detrimental to your health over time. However, drinking coffee regularly can help reduce these negative effects.
A study of over 10,000 people in the United States found that daily coffee drinkers may be protected against the risks of sitting for six or more hours a day.
According to a study published in BMC Public Health, sedentary coffee drinkers were 1.58 times less likely to die from any cause over 13 years than non-seated coffee drinkers.
The study, conducted by researchers at Soochow University in China, is the first attempt to measure how coffee might help reduce the increased risk of death associated with prolonged sitting.
They analysed long-term health data from the US and found that coffee drinking halved the association between a sedentary lifestyle and death from heart disease and all other causes.
The findings are important, as previous research suggests that even regular exercise may not provide full protection against the long-term health risks caused by prolonged sitting, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease or stroke.
Of the 10,639 participants in the study, those who sat more than eight hours a day had a higher risk of death from all causes and heart disease than those who sat less than four hours a day.
However, this increased risk was only seen in adults who did not drink coffee.
People who drank coffee had a lower risk of death from heart disease, regardless of the number of cups of coffee they drank each day.
Those who drank more than two and a half cups of coffee per day had a lower risk of death from all causes than those who did not drink coffee for at least six hours.
Although the study doesn’t explain why coffee has this protective effect, previous research has linked coffee consumption to a longer and healthier life.
Caffeine has been proven to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Even decaffeinated coffee is rich in antioxidants that can boost metabolism and reduce inflammation.
Some compounds present in coffee can also protect the brain from diseases like Parkinson’s.
These findings are promising, but more research is needed to understand the ideal dosage and the mechanisms behind coffee’s health benefits.
The Soochow University researchers concluded that, “Since coffee is a complex compound, more research is needed to explore the full potential of this miraculous compound.”