Non-coffee drinkers who sat for six or more hours a day were at almost 60 per cent higher risk of dying compared to coffee drinkers sitting for less than six hours, according to a research published in the journal BioMed Central (BMC) Public Health.
This indicated an increased risk of dying in sedentary people not consuming coffee, but not among those drinking coffee, researchers following over 10,000 adults in the United States for up to 13 years said.
The researchers at the Medical College of Soochow University's School of Public Health in China also found that sedentary coffee drinkers were at a 24 per cent lower risk of death compared to non-coffee drinkers sitting for at least six hours a day.
The result, not featuring in the study, was calculated at The Washington Post's request, according to the media website's report.
"The benefits of coffee consumption in improving overall survival in adults compared to sedentary behaviour are manifold," the authors wrote in the study.
Consuming coffee lowers risk of metabolic problems known to worsen inflammation, which contributes to heightening death risks because of sedentary behaviour, they said.
In their study, the authors found that the risk of dying from any cause significantly lowered -- by 33 per cent -- among a fourth of all the participants consuming highest amounts of coffee compared to non-coffee drinkers.
The results were consistent with those from previous studies, which have found a link between drinking more coffee and a lowered risk of dying from any cause and heart disease, they said.
Compounds present in coffee, including caffeine and polyphenols, are anti-inflammatory in nature. However, how exactly coffee works in the body to lower risk of dying is still unclear, the researchers said.
Further, the team also found that sitting for more than eight hours a day was linked with over 40 per cent higher risk of death from any cause and almost 80 per cent higher risk of dying due to heart disease.
For their analysis, the researchers used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which follows Americans' health and nutrition.
"Given that coffee is a complex compound, further research is needed to explore this miracle compound," the authors wrote.
