A new study just released suggests that people that consume three to five cups of coffee every day have a chance of out-living those non-coffee drinkers, according to an article on npr.org.

The results of the study, published in the journal Circulation, adds more credence to the mounting evidence that coffee has some health benefits for those who enjoy the beverage in moderate amounts.

Walter Willett of the Harvard School of Public Health and one of the study authors, said the findings of the study show that people who drink three to five cups per day had about a 15 percent lower risk of premature mortality than non-drinkers.

In a question and answer session with Willet, he noted they are seeing similar benefits from caffeinated and decaffeinated coffees, indicating that caffeine itself is not totally responsible for the health benefits.  Since too much caffeine can cause sleep loss, that is good news for those fans who can drink the decaffeinated version later in the day and still get a good night’s sleep.

Earlier research has shown that there could be a decreased risk of having a stroke in persons that drink coffee, and also that coffee can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

A separate study revealed that the optimal amount of caffeine that will enhance cognitive functions in most people is around 200 milligrams, or about the equivalent of two cups.  But everybody does not process caffeine the same way, and levels could be different for many who are looking to jump start their mood or offset a lack of sleep.

Also, it has been shown that the amount of caffeine varies greatly from cup to cup.  An earlier analysis looked at a 16-ounce cup from Starbuck’s and found a range from 250-500 milligrams of caffeine, making it difficult to suggest a certain amount as being the best for all.

Saying he wouldn’t suggest people who don’t like coffee to go out and start drinking it to get a health benefit, Willett said people who do like to drink coffee should feel free to include moderate coffee consumption as part of a healthy lifestyle.