The findings published in The New England Journal of Medicine was the result of a major US government study that analyzed the coffee-drinking habits of more than 400,000 people ages 50 to 71.
Overall, people who drank coffee tend to die sooner than non-coffee drinkers because coffee consumption was often linked with other unhealthy behaviors like smoking, eating more red meat, fewer fruits and vegetables, less exercise and more alcohol.
But when the scientists eliminated the effects of those risks, the data revealed that the more coffee a person consumed, the less likely he or she was to die from a number of health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, infections and even injuries and accidents.
According to the article written by led by Neal D. Freedman and colleagues of the National Cancer Institute, men who drank 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day had a 10 percent chance of outliving those who drank no coffee, while women had a 13 percent advantage.
Even a single cup a day seemed to lower the risk by 6 percent in men and 5 percent in women. But those who drank as much as four to five cups experienced the highest benefit, says the 13-year assessment which is the largest-ever of its kind.
Reportedly, for men who consumed four to five cups of coffee a day the risk of death decreased by 12 percent while the odds dropped by 16 percent in women who drank a same amount of java.
However, the authors emphasize that the bonus of coffee drinking goes straight to the people who follow other healthy habits as well.
They suggest those who want to take the highest benefit of the hot drink avoid tobacco, fat and alcohol and also add more physical activity, fruits and vegetables to their daily life.