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The good news on coffee just keeps pouring in. Numerous studies in recent years have touted its health and longevity benefits, even when consumed in rather copious amounts. Coffee is even recommended by the Food & Drug Administration as part of a healthy diet. New research helps clarify a question that’s been percolating around whether decaf and instant offer the same benefits. Before we get to it, some quick background:

• Over the past several years, numerous studies have indicated that coffee is linked to longer life and lower risk of several diseases.
• Last year I wrote that up to three cups of caffeinated coffee per day is linked to a lower risk of heart disease and death.
• Earlier this year I reported that two or three cups a day promotes good heart health and longer life not only among healthy individuals, but also in people with various types of heart disease.

Coffee beans can be decaffeinated (well, mostly) by soaking them in water while they’re green, allowing the caffeine to seep out, or by forcing superheated, high-pressure gas through the beans. Instant coffee is created by first making actual coffee, then dehydrating it to leave behind coffee crystals.

Caffeine itself is thought to contribute to the health benefits of coffee, but a good brew also contains numerous little-studied compounds, some of which are thought to fight inflammation in the body. Hints that decaf and instant coffee provide many of the same benefits as regular coffee have been dripping in. The new study grounds that expectation.

Compared to people who don’t take coffee, those who enjoy two or three cups a day had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and lower risk of death during the 12-year study period, scientists report in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. The results held, at least to some degree, for decaf and instant varieties, but there were notable differences. The reduced risk of cardiovascular disease based on coffee preferences:

• Regular: 20%
• Decaffeinated: 6%
• Instant: 9%

The reduced risk of death based on coffee preferences:

• Regular: 27%
• Decaffeinated: 14%
• Instant: 11%

“Caffeine is the most well-known constituent in coffee, but the beverage contains more than 100 biologically active components,” said Peter Kistler, MD, a professor and researcher at the Alfred Hospital and Baker Heart Institute in Melbourne, Australia. “It is likely that the non-caffeinated compounds were responsible for the positive relationships observed between coffee drinking, cardiovascular disease and survival.

The study was based on UK Biobank data on 449,563 adults ages 40 to 69, who self-reported their coffee intake and then were followed for health outcomes across a dozen years.

“The results suggest that mild to moderate intake of ground, instant and decaffeinated coffee should be considered part of a healthy lifestyle,” Kistler said.

Some caveats: Caffeine is a drug, and it can cause side effects, though minor for most people who are regular coffee drinkers. It should not be consumed by kids or anyone who is pregnant, and it’s wise to avoid caffeine for several hours prior to bedtime. Also: Adding cream or sugar may counter some of the positive effects. One last thing: As with other observational studies, this one does not prove cause and effect. So if you’re waiting for solid, irrefutable proof, go ahead, drink tea. It’s supposed to be good for you, too.