Coffee Drinkers Less Likely to Kill Themselves

Those who down 2 to 4 cups a day have 50% lower risk, says study
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 26, 2013 12:57 PM CDT
Coffee Drinkers Less Likely to Kill Themselves
   (Shutterstock)

An eye-opening little stat to ponder over your morning joe: Harvard researchers say drinking two to four cups of coffee a day appears to cut the risk of suicide by a whopping 50%. The researchers looked at data from three big health US health studies involving more than 200,000 people and determined that caffeine seems to function as a mild antidepressant, reports the Harvard Gazette. Note to guzzlers: Drinking more than four cups doesn't bring any extra benefit.

"The team's findings are, perhaps, not surprising since caffeinated coffee has been linked to a lower risk of depression among women," writes Sara Gates at the Huffington Post. (Click for that 2011 story.) But the 50% stat is nonetheless "striking," she adds. Meanwhile, Grist picks up on a story about a vending machine at a South African airport that uses facial recognition software to detect yawns and distribute free coffee. (It's a publicity stunt for a local roaster, but still kind of interesting and/or creepy.)

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