Introduction:In recent years, an increasing number of studies have explored the potential health benefits of coffee, but most have not distinguished between those with or without added sugar. A research team from Southern Medical University analyzed data from over 170,000 participants in the UK Biobank and found that both unsweetened and moderately sweetened coffee were associated with a lower risk of death—the key lies in intake quantity and sugar control. This article breaks down the core findings of the study to help you understand the real relationship between coffee and health, and to clarify the difference between these findings and high-sugar commercial drinks.

Coffee has long been one of the world’s most popular beverages, and its consumption has grown steadily in the Chinese market, especially among office workers. Its stimulating effects can help improve work efficiency, and recent research has also indicated that moderate coffee consumption may have positive impacts on cardiovascular health, diabetes, and certain chronic diseases—even being linked to a reduced overall risk of death.

However, many previous studies on the health benefits of coffee often did not clearly differentiate between “sweetened” and “unsweetened” coffee. In fact, when many people first try coffee, they may add sugar or creamer to balance its bitter taste. So, if a small amount of sugar is added to coffee, can you still enjoy the inherent health benefits of coffee?

In May 2022, a research team led by Professor Mao Chen from Southern Medical University published a study in the internationally authoritative journal Annals of Internal Medicine, titled “Associations of Sugar-Sweetened, Artificially Sweetened, and Unsweetened Coffee Consumption With All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality.” The study delved into the relationship between different types of coffee and mortality risks by analyzing dietary and health data from over 170,000 participants in the UK Biobank.

The research team selected 171,616 participants who had no history of heart disease or cancer, aged between 37 and 73. Among them, 130,132 individuals (about 75.8%) regularly drank coffee. Of these, approximately 55.4% mainly consumed unsweetened coffee, 14.3% preferred sweetened coffee, and another 6.1% often opted for coffee products with artificial sweeteners.

Over a follow-up period of 7 years, the study recorded a total of 3,177 deaths, including 1,725 cancer-related deaths and 628 cardiovascular disease deaths. The analysis revealed that both unsweetened and sweetened coffee consumption showed a clear U-shaped relationship with all-cause mortality—meaning that within a certain intake range, the risk of death was lowest, but excessive consumption diminished or even reversed the benefits.

Specifically, compared to those who did not drink coffee at all, **those who consumed 2.5 to 3.5 cups of unsweetened coffee per day had a risk of death reduced by up to 29%; drinking 3.5 to 4.5 cups maintained a similarly protective effect**. This indicates that unsweetened coffee offers significant health benefits when consumed in moderation.

As for sweetened coffee, the study found that **those who drank 1.5 to 2.5 cups per day had about a 21% lower risk of death**, also demonstrating certain health advantages. However, it’s important to note that **once daily intake exceeded 4.5 cups, the risk of death actually increased by about 5%**, showing that excessive consumption may still have negative effects.

Notably, the amount of sugar added by participants in the study was relatively small, averaging about one teaspoon of sugar (approximately 4–5 grams) per cup—far less than the high sugar content and additional additives found in common commercial flavored coffees such as Toffee Nut Latte or Caramel Macchiato. Therefore, these health benefits do not apply to high-sugar, high-calorie commercial specialty coffee drinks.

Additionally, the study also observed coffee with artificial sweeteners, but the association with mortality risk was less consistent, and no definitive protective or risk conclusions could be drawn—indicating that the long-term health impacts of such coffee still require more research to confirm.

In summary, this study provides an important reference for consumers who prefer to add a small amount of sugar to their coffee: under moderate consumption (approximately 1.5 to 2.5 cups per day, with about one teaspoon of sugar per cup), sweetened coffee may still offer the potential to reduce the risk of death. However, the key remains controlling intake and sugar levels—avoiding switching to high-sugar, high-calorie commercial specialty drinks—to truly balance coffee flavor with health benefits.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.