Researchers have claimed that drinking a cup of coffee everyday could be the secret to long life. According to a study, people who drank one to two cups of coffee a day had more elastic arteries than those who drank little or no coffee, reports the Daily Mail.

The subjects of the research were all aged between 65 and 100 and long-term inhabitants of the Greek island of Ikaria. It is known as the ''land of longevity'' and a third of residents reach the age of 90.

University of Athens researchers looked at 485 people with high blood pressure, medically known as hypertension. Christina Chrysohoou, who led the study, said there was conflicting evidence about the effect of coffee drinking on heart health, with some research showing it aggravated high blood pressure.

But drinking coffee is a deeply embedded social tradition in Greek culture, which made it imperative to investigate on this island of ''high life-expectancy'', she said.