Years of life spent sitting on an office chair or a couch can have deadly health effects in the long run. Prolonged sedentary behaviour has been consistently linked to a variety of health issues, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Recent research has revealed that sitting for more than six hours a day significantly increases the risk of all-cause mortality.
In a study analysing data from 10,639 participants collected from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2007 and 2018, it was found that individuals who sat for over eight hours a day faced a 46 per cent higher risk of all-cause mortality and a 79 per cent higher risk of cardiovascular disease mortality compared to those who sat for less than four hours daily.
The NHANES survey, which has been collected every two years since 1999 by the National Center for Health Statistics, measures the health and nutrition status of Americans. The researchers, primarily from the Medical College of Soochow University in Suzhou, China, emphasised the significant health risks associated with sedentary lifestyles.
However, a surprising discovery in their study was the potential mitigating effect of coffee consumption on these risks.
The protective effect of coffee
The study, published in the journal BMC Public Health, aimed to assess the association between daily sitting time and coffee intake on all-cause and cardiovascular disease deaths among US adults. The lead author, Huimin Zhou, a researcher at the Medical College of Soochow University’s School of Public Health in China, provided additional insights at The Washington Post’s request.
Zhou calculated that sedentary coffee drinkers had a 24 per cent reduced risk of mortality compared with those who sat for more than six hours and didn’t drink coffee.
In the original article, the researchers reported that non-coffee drinkers who sat for six hours or more per day were 58 per cent more likely to die of all causes than coffee drinkers sitting for less than six hours a day.
This comparison highlighted the combined risk of sedentary behaviour and the benefits of coffee drinking. Zhou explained that the comparison was chosen because it involved two “riskiest” behaviours with two least “risky” behaviours.
Coffee and reduced mortality risks
The findings of the study were particularly striking when it came to the impact of coffee on mortality risks associated with sedentary behaviour. The research revealed that those who drank the most coffee (more than two cups per day) showed a 33 per cent reduced risk of all-cause mortality and a 54 per cent reduced risk of cardiovascular disease mortality compared with non-coffee drinkers.
Even those who drank less coffee still benefited significantly. Sedentary coffee drinkers were found to be 1.58 times less likely to die of all causes compared to those who didn’t drink coffee and sat for extended periods.
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Interestingly, the harmful effects of prolonged sitting were only observed among adults who did not consume coffee. This suggests that coffee might have a protective effect against the health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle.
Zhou and his colleagues noted that “given that coffee is a complex compound, further research is needed to explore this miracle compound.”
What have previous studies said?
While the exact mechanisms behind coffee’s protective effects are not fully understood, previous studies have linked coffee consumption to a range of health benefits. Caffeine in the blood has been found to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Even decaffeinated coffee is rich in antioxidants that may help boost metabolism and reduce inflammation. Certain compounds in coffee may also protect the brain from degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.
A study published earlier this year found that people with colorectal cancer who drank at least five cups of coffee a day had a 32 per cent lower chance of their disease returning compared to those who drank fewer than two cups a day.
Moreover, three to five cups of daily coffee were associated with the greatest reduction in all-cause mortality, although benefits dropped off after consuming more than five cups a day.
“Given that coffee is a complex compound, further research is needed to explore this miracle compound,” the researchers concluded.
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The study’s results are promising, suggesting that regular coffee consumption may offer a simple and effective way to offset some of the harmful effects of prolonged sitting. However, the researchers caution that coffee should not be seen as a substitute for physical activity and a healthy lifestyle.
Instead, it should be considered as part of a broader strategy to reduce the health risks associated with sedentary behaviour.
With inputs from agencies
