Study: Every Cup of Coffee Boosts Healthy Aging by 5%

SadaNews - Researchers in a large-scale study involving nearly 50,000 women over 30 years found that drinking more coffee during midlife is associated with a lower incidence of chronic diseases, physical mobility issues, and cognitive decline in later years. Other caffeinated products, as well as decaffeinated coffee, did not yield the same results.

Caffeine in Midlife

According to a report by New Atlas, researchers from Harvard University studied the relationship between caffeine consumption in midlife and its contribution to healthy aging in women. They evaluated health data from 47,513 women in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) over 30 years, starting in 1984.

Key Strengths

Dr. Sarah Mehdi from Harvard’s Public Health School stated, "The study features several key strengths"; in addition to the large sample size and the 30-year follow-up, various aspects of longevity and healthy aging were assessed, alongside very comprehensive information on dietary and lifestyle habits, gathered every four years since the study began.

The Term 'Healthy Aging'

While "healthy aging" is a somewhat broad term, the scientists in this study classified it as reaching the age of 70 or older without any of the eleven major chronic diseases, no restrictions on physical functions, no mental or cognitive health issues, and no memory problems, based on participant responses in 2014 and 2016. Health data that met these requirements were categorized within the group of healthy elderly.

315 mg of Caffeine

In 2016, 3,706 participants in the study were included in the group of healthy seniors. When these women were aged between 45 and 60, they regularly consumed about 315 mg of caffeine daily, equivalent to three small cups at that time, or about one and a half large cups by 2025. More than 80% of their total caffeine intake came exclusively from coffee.

Notable Health Improvement

This group, which consumed a larger amount of coffee, showed a significant improvement in their health indicators. Researchers found that every 80 mg of caffeine - equivalent to about one cup (340 ml) of coffee - resulted in a 2-5% increase in health indicators, after accounting for other factors such as smoking. This percentage increased with each cup, reaching about five small cups of coffee - or 2.5 cups at the sizes of 2025.

Only Coffee

Mehdi stated, "While previous studies have linked coffee to individual health outcomes, this study is the first to evaluate the impact of coffee across multiple domains of aging over three decades." She added that the results "suggest that caffeinated coffee - not tea or decaffeinated - may uniquely support aging pathways that preserve mental and physical functions."

Positive Health Indicators

Researchers are now planning to investigate aging pathways and how various compounds in coffee can positively affect these health indicators.

Preventive Benefits

Dr. Mehdi stated that the results, "although preliminary, suggest that small, ongoing habits can impact health in the long term." Moderate coffee consumption may provide some preventive benefits when combined with other healthy behaviors, such as regular exercise, a healthy diet, and avoiding smoking. While this study adds to previous evidence suggesting an association between coffee consumption and healthy aging, the benefits of coffee are relatively modest compared to the overall impact of healthy lifestyle habits and warrant further research.