Coffee drinkers reap health boost – but only if they do it in the morning

Morning coffee drinkers were 16% less likely to die of any cause, researchers found. Photograph: Boy_Anupong/Getty Images

People who get their coffee hit in the morning reap benefits that are not seen in those who have shots later in the day, according to the first major study into the health benefits of the drink at different times.

Analysis of the coffee consumption of more than 40,000 adults found that morning coffee drinkers were 16% less likely to die of any cause and 31% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease during a 10-year follow-up period than those who went without.