On any given day, a throng of people can be found waiting at the seemingly endless line at the Washington Square Starbucks. Caffeine acts as a lifeline for some students — some may even consider dripping coffee through an IV just to get their daily fix.  And while we’ve been told that coffee is addictive and destructive, research shows that the drink can actually be beneficial.

A recent study presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress relieved anxieties for coffee lovers, stating that drinking coffee could decrease the risk of death. Researchers found that the death rate for people who drink four cups of coffee each day is 64 percent lower than those who rarely drink coffee.

In addition, a Harvard study, after following 130,000 volunteer participants for 18 to 24 years, found out that coffee consumption is not related to increased deaths caused by cardiovascular disease, when comparing the data with that of non-coffee-drinkers. An impact of coffee consumption on the risk of mortality and chronic disease has not been found even for people who drink up to six cups of coffee daily. Despite the variation in these findings, both studies pointed out that coffee does not cause negative impacts on health.

Studies have long been searched for health benefits to drinking coffee. More than 25 cohort studies conducted in the United States, Asia and Europe repeatedly showed that the risk of Type 2 diabetes can be reduced by coffee. Moreover, it was said that coffee could also lower the risk of Parkinson’s disease, according to a meta-analysis from Dr. Miguel A. Hernán.

CAS freshman Jessica Meng said that coffee plays an indispensable role in her life.

“I drink two tall cups of coffee every day,” Meng said. “My favorite coffee is an Americano with no sugar. The bitterness is stimulating. Not only does it reduce the swelling of my eyes in the morning, but also it refreshes my mind when I’m tired.”

Nevertheless, what everyone needs to keep in mind is that the concept of  a cup of coffee in most studies refers to an eight-ounce coffee with 100 milligrams of caffeine and only little milk and sugar. Nothing is guaranteed a if someone drinks six venti-size cups of Green Tea Creme Frappuccino from Starbucks.

Email Sherry Yan at [email protected].