The humble cup of joe, for several it’s a necessity – a life source almost – while for others their affinity lies with other beverages. Whichever way you take it, there’s no denying the fact that over time Coffee has swayed from being portrayed as good for our health to being illustrated as the complete opposite. However last year, The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee released its updated recommendations to the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Agriculture and other government agencies, and coffee is now considered not just benign, but actually good for your health.

Adding to this argument is new research from the University of Texas, which strengthens the case of coffee being good for you. With more than half of Americans drinking coffee on a daily basis, the beverage is the most widely consumed stimulant and reports show it can boost daily energy expenditure by approximately five per cent.  However, most notably, the research revealed that coffee consumption was linked to a reduced mortality rate of 18 percent.

The 10 year study observed 90, 317 individuals with no history of cancer or cardiovasucular disease. By the end of the study, 8,700 people had passed away and, after accounting for other factors like smoking, the researchers established that coffee drinkers were less likely to have died than non-drinkers. The Texas research team believes coffee could decrease someone’s risk of death by “favourably affecting inflammation, lung function, insulin sensitivity and depression.”