Your coffee addiction could lower your risk of getting COVID-19, according to a new study

Good news for coffee drinkers: a new study is suggesting that drinking at least a cup of coffee a day could help lower your risk of contracting COVID-19. 

Researchers from Northwestern University published a study in the Nutrients Journal which analyzed close to 40,000 participants from the U.K. Biobank, and their dietary habits from 2006 to 2010. 

For the purpose of the study, researchers focused primarily on the participants’ consumption of coffee, tea, processed meat, red meat, fruit, vegetables, and oily fish. After adjusting for certain factors like physical activity, BMI level, and history of certain medical conditions, along with race, sex, and age, they determined that “habitual consumption of 1 or more cups of coffee per day was associated with about a 10% decrease in risk of COVID-19 compared to less than 1 cup/day.”

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This connection could be linked to the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties found in coffee. As the study reads, “coffee consumption favorably correlates with inflammatory biomarkers” and since researchers have connected weak immune systems to a higher risk of contracting the virus, “Taken together, an immunoprotective effect of coffee against COVID-19 is plausible and merits further investigation.”

While you should still get the COVID-19 vaccine, for those looking to double down on their protection with natural methods, the study also suggests that having at least 0.67 servings of vegetables can provide added protection. Unfortunately for processed meat lovers though, foods like ham and sausage are more likely to give you an increased risk of contracting the virus, which the study’s authors suspect may be due to other dietary reasons as there was no risk associated with red meats.

While further independent confirmation is still needed, the authors of this study wrote that “certain dietary behaviors may be an additional tool to existing COVID-19 protection guidelines to limit the spread of this virus”. 

Coffee has proven to provide us with other health benefits in the past though, including reducing your chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Feeling tempted to increase your coffee intake? Read our guides to the best coffee machine deals and the best coffee travel mugs.