There are reasons aplenty to celebrate one of our favorite daily drinks.

Those who drink coffee are less likely to die of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and a host of other ailments — even accidents or injury.

[lz_ndn video=29058875]

In one large-scale analysis, 400,000 men and women enrolled in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study were followed for 13 years to see how their coffee habits correlated with longevity.

The result: Coffee drinkers were up to 16 percent more likely to live longer, with a generally dose-dependent effect — as in, the more you drink, the longer you’ll live.

For years, conventional wisdom held that coffee drinking wasn’t good for you — perhaps reinforced by the fact that, in general, coffee drinkers are also more likely to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, eat red meat, and skimp on fruit and vegetables.

Related: Coffee A Latte Risk for Moms

But when researchers controlled for such lifestyle factors, coffee emerged to possibly confer a longevity benefit across a wide range of illnesses. Why might this be?

Researchers credit some of the 1,000-plus compounds in coffee, which may have antioxidant effects. Caffeine, however, does not appear to deserve the credit, as both regular and decaf coffee drinkers derived a longevity bump, with decaf drinkers enjoying a lower risk of diabetes.

Related: Race and Caffeine Hormonal Impact

Who do you think would win the Presidency?

By completing the poll, you agree to receive emails from LifeZette, occasional offers from our partners and that you've read and agree to our privacy policy and legal statement.

Bottom line: As long as you maintain healthy habits in other areas of life, you’ll likely live longer if you drink coffee.

This article was originally created by the Dole Nutrition Institute.