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Drinking Coffee Could Help You Live Longer, Study Suggests

By U.S. News & World Report

Don’t feel guilty if you can’t start your day without a cup of coffee. You might even be adding years to your life.

Two studies published Tuesday in the Annals of Internal Medicine have found a link between higher coffee consumption and a lowered risk of death.

The studies build on other research linking coffee to a variety of health benefits, though some research has found risks.

For the first study, researchers took data from 521,330 people across 10 European countries, all of whom were part of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study. Compared to coffee-abstainers, those who drank the most coffee had a smaller risk of death from all causes during the 16-year follow-up period. This was after researchers accounted for lifestyle factors like diet and smoking.

“The fact that we saw the same relationships in different countries is kind of the implication that it’s something about coffee rather than it’s something about the way that coffee is prepared or the way it’s drunk,” study author Dr. Marc Gunter of the International Agency for Research on Cancer told CNN.

The second study, conducted in the U.S., found that drinking coffee was linked to a lower risk of death from heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke, and respiratory and kidney disease in African-Americans, Japanese-Americans, Latinos and whites. Those who drank a cup of coffee per day had a 12 percent smaller chance of dying than non-coffee drinkers. Two to three cups of coffee was linked to an 18 percent lower risk of death. The study included 185,855 people who responded to questionnaires on their diet, lifestyle, and family and personal medical history.

The studies are delivering a jolt of good news to many around the world. People drink more than 2.25 billion cups of coffee across the globe every day, estimates suggest. In the U.S. alone, approximately 75 percent of adults drink coffee and 50 percent do so daily.

Neither study is proof positive for drinking the breakfast staple, however.

“Due to the limitations of observational research, we are not at the stage of recommending people to drink more or less coffee,” Gunter said in a statement. “That said, our results suggest that moderate coffee drinking — up to around three cups per day — is not detrimental to your health, and that incorporating coffee into your diet could have health benefits.”

Veronica W. Setiawan, lead author of the U.S. study, offered a similar sentiment.

“We cannot say drinking coffee will prolong your life, but we see an association,” Setiawan, also a professor at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, said in a statement. “If you like to drink coffee, drink up! If you’re not a coffee drinker, then you need to consider if you should start.”

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Drinking Coffee Could Help You Live Longer, Study Suggests originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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