Researchers at Hospital de Navarra in Spain found that people who consumed at least four cups of coffee per day had a 64 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality than those who never or almost never consumed coffee.
There was a 22 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality for each two additional cups of coffee per day.
"Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages around the world," said Adela Navarro, a cardiologist at Hospital de Navarra.
Previous studies have suggested that drinking coffee might be inversely associated with all-cause mortality but this has not been investigated in a Mediterranean country.
Researchers analysed 19,896 participants whose average age at enrolment was 37.7 years old.
Participants completed a food frequency questionnaire to collect information on coffee consumption, lifestyle and sociodemographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, and previous health conditions. Patients were followed-up for an average of ten years.