Coffee studies have shown decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, heart disease, and several types of cancer. Now two important studies have shown potential benefits to drinking coffee regularly can prolong life.

Here are highlights:

Veronica W. Setiawan, lead author of the one of the studies and an associate professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, said in a statement. “If you like to drink coffee, drink up!”

Setiawan’s research, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, found that drinking one cup of coffee a day was associated with a 12 percent decrease in risk of death.

The link was even stronger for people who drank two to three cups a day; that group saw an 18 percent reduced risk of death.

The benefit was seen regardless of whether people drank regular or decaffeinated coffee, suggesting the effect comes from the coffee itself, not caffeine, the researchers said.

The second study conducted by the Imperial College found that drinking more coffee was associated with “lower markers of inflammation” and “better markers of liver function.”

Read full article at CBSnews.com, Could drinking coffee help you live longer?

Read other articles on this study:

• Coffee drinking could lead to longer life, studies say
• Drinking more coffee leads to a longer life, two studies say
• Two big studies bolster the claim that coffee – even decaf – is good for you

Read more at our Coffee & Health section
Coffee has disease-fighting antioxidants and studies have shown that it may reduce risk of:

• Type 2 diabetes
• Colon cancer
• Liver cancer
• Gall stones
• Cirrhosis of the liver
• Parkinson’s disease
• Age-related eye diseases–retinal degeneration