过量喝咖啡或增加早亡风险

Surprising headline for all of you possibly enjoying your morning coffee right about now,myself included. A new study says if you drink more than four cups a day, it might increase the risk of an early death. ABC News Senior Medical Contributor Dr.Jennifer Ashton

is with us to to make sense of all of this. And a lot of people, they say, drink three or more cups a day. Should we be concerned about this new study?

Myself included,Laura.First of all,It's important to realize what this study brought up is that

we might be drinking more than we think. If you drink one of these on your way to work, this could be equivalent to two and a half cups. So we might be way over that. But to break down the study, we have to go through pros and cons. First of all, big study.

They followed people for a long time and worked at various age groups. (40,000 people). Absolutely and and they looked at people, it's valid.

Reputable. We like big numbers in medicine however big negative here. This was a study based on observation.

It did not show cause and effect. That's very, very important to keep in mind.

It's also confusing because I feel like, as a broadcaster, we've done stories in the past that say, hey, drink your coffee, there's a medical benefit. That’s right. So how do you sus through the information.

One day, it's one thing. One day, it's another. We have to remember more studies at this point tip the scale in favor of caffeine. There’s been a lot of researches which show that drinking cups of coffee decreases the risk of type two diabetes.

It may reduce the risk of certain types of cancer, like prostate cancer certain skin cancers. And a study out of Harvard this year showed a reduced risk of suicide in people who drink coffee.

All of that sounds really really good. So it is a way to take balance. Jennifer, just moderation is key? You got it.

You hear doctors say that all the time: in moderation,especially if you don't have a heart problem, blood pressure problem, if you don't have heart problems, blood pressure problems. I will continue to drink my five cups a day, sister.

Cheers. Enjoy. Great information from Dr. Jennifer Ashton.