It's time to wake up! Not with coffee, though.
More like, about coffee. A new study published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings Thursday found drinking excessive amounts of coffee, roughly four cups per day, increases a person's risk of dying.
The study looked at more than 43,000 men and women between the ages of 20 and 87 for more than three decades.
It found men and women who drank 28 cups of coffee or more per week had a 21 percent higher mortality rate overall. And those younger than 55 had a 50% higher risk of dying. (Via WATE)
But this doesn't necessarily mean you have to kick your coffee habits completely. In fact, other studies have shown drinking several cups per day, decaffeinated or caffeinated, might actually be beneficial.
In 2011, research found men who drink at least six cups of coffee per day can lower their risk of prostate cancer by as much as 60 percent. (Via Harvard Gazette)
And a study published last year found older adults who drank coffee could actually had a lower risk of death. This research was tested on men and women ages 50 to 71 who drank at least three cups of coffee per day. (Via NIH.gov)
OK — so drink it, or don't drink it? Drink more, or drink less? A co-author of this most recent study told CNN there's a possibility that coffee isn't the only factor to consider.
“What if people are super hyper, driven, stressed out, drinking 10 cups of coffee a day? And it’s not the coffee that's killing them, it's the fact that they're stressed out that’s killing them.”
Researchers say the benefits and risks of coffee consumption vary per person. So, whether you just like the taste — or it's 5 a.m. and you need to wake up — it probably won't kill you to have a cup or two.
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