A new study is adding further proof to the idea that good health is really about taking things in moderation. While the numerous health benefits of coffee have been well-documented, a new study suggests drinking too much of the caffeinated stuff is linked with a higher risk of early death. Specifically, researchers found a 21 percent higher risk of death among people younger than age 55 who drank more than 28 cups of coffee each week (which averages out to more than four cups of coffee a day). However, it's important to note that people younger than 55 who tended to drink more than four cups of coffee a day were also more likely to smoke and less likely to have good cardiorespiratory fitness. The study, published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, was observational. It involved nearly 43,727 people (33,900 men and 9,827 women) between ages 20 and 87, who answered questionnaires about their lifestyle habits between 1979 and 1998. After following up with the study participants for a median of 17 years, 2,512 people had died. After following up with the study participants for a median of 17 years, 2,512 people had died -- 87.5 percent of them were men and 12.5 percent of them were women. Researchers found an association between dying over the study period and drinking more than 28 cups of coffee a week among people younger than age 55, with men showing a slightly higher trend toward early death than women.