A sedentary lifestyle and certain situations such as teleworking sometimes force us to sit for long hours during the day, a phenomenon which can have serious consequences on our body. But according to a brand new study, these effects could be countered by drinking coffee. Concretely, people who spend at least six hours a day sitting and who consume it would have 1.58 times less risk of dying, whatever the cause, than those who do not consume it.
Led by researchers at Soochow University in China and published in BMC Public Health, the study is the first of its kind and found that coffee consumption appeared to offer protection against the negative health effects of prolonged sitting every day, including heart disease, diabetes and stroke. As they explained, any amount of coffee would reduce the risk but two to three cups a day would be enough.
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Further studies needed
This research follows previous studies which suggested that caffeine in the blood reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes or heart disease. They revealed that coffee contained antioxidants that could reduce inflammation. “Coffee is rich in bioactive substances, and there is growing evidence that it can reduce mortality from chronic diseases thanks to its powerful properties,” explained the authors of the study.
Now, researchers say additional studies are needed to understand how and why coffee might reduce the risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle.
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Note that almost “95% of the French adult population is exposed to a risk of deterioration of health due to lack of physical activity or too long time spent sitting,” according to a study by the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) published in 2022.
