Here’s Why Drinking Coffee Might Actually Save Your Life
Whether you’re here for the Starbucks frap (choose yours by your star sign) or a more… erm… unexpected coffee combo, a cup of joe can go a long way in brightening your day. From providing you with the little extra oomph you need to get yourself going in the morning to giving you that little mid-afternoon pick-me-up, we could wax poetic for days about the gazillion and one reasons we love us some java beans.
Science has given us one reason to trump all others, however: It can actually save your life. We know, we know: You’re thinking “whaaaaaaa?”
It’s true, folks. In order to get a solid read on the effects of coffee with regard to mental health, the World Journal of Biological Psychiatry conducted a study of 208,424 (whoa) male and female coffee drinkers and compared their rates of suicide when compared to the amount of coffee they drank per day.
Their findings were rather intriguing, suggesting that the more coffee the subject drank, the less likely they were to feel suicidally depressed. It may not be the most cheerful finding, but it’s definitely interesting. In fact, those consuming two to four cups per day were 50 percent less likely to engage in the fatal behavior.
“Unlike previous investigations, we were able to assess association of consumption of caffeinated and non-caffeinated beverages, and we identify caffeine as the most likely candidate of any putative protective effect of coffee,” said the study’s lead researcher, Michel Lucas.
In plain terms? More coffee = more caffeine, and more caffeine = a happier, more mentally sound you.
If anyone needs us, we’ll just be over here, refilling our mugs…
How many cups do you drink per day? Share with us over @BritandCo!
(h/t Elite Daily, photos via Getty)