Researchers in Spain have concluded that higher coffee consumption is associated with a lower risk of death, suggesting that four cups of coffee per day can be part of a healthy diet, especially among people age 45 and above.

Their study, presented yesterday at the European Society of Cardiology Congress, involved nearly 20,000 participants, focusing on middle-age people from Spain over a period averaging 10 years. Research showed that participants who consumed at least four cups per day had a 64 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality than those who never or almost never drank coffee. Additionally, there was a 22 percent reduction in all-cause mortality for participants who drank an additional two cups per day within the 10 year period.