Most people who drink coffee enjoy the rapid energy boost it provides. But in a new study, presented on Monday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Nutrition, scientists found that coffee can offer a much longer benefit: healthy aging.
The study has not yet been reviewed by pairs or published, but was strict and included a large number of women who were accompanied for many years. It also adds to a large body of evidence that relate coffee to longer lives and several health advantages, including lower risks of certain chronic diseases – although all these studies have limitations, such as being observational and cannot prove cause and effect.
Still, the results that connect coffee to healthier aging were not surprising, said Fang Fang Zhang, professor of nutritional epidemiology at Tufts University, who did not participate in the study. “The data is quite consistent with showing that coffee consumption is really beneficial,” he said.
What has the new research discovered?
In the study, the researchers followed more than 47,000 nurses for several decades, starting in the 1970s. Every few years, women responded to detailed questions about their diets, including coffee, tea and soda (such as Coke or Pepsi) used to drink.
Then scientists found how many of these women were still alive and met the definition of “healthy aging” in 2016. Just over 3,700 women attended this definition: they were 70 or older; reported good physical and mental health without cognitive impairment or memory problems; And they were free from 11 chronic diseases such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
The researchers found a correlation between the amount of caffeine that women normally consumed (especially from coffee) between 45 and 60 years and the likelihood of healthy aging. After adjusting to other factors that could affect aging, such as general diet, exercise level and smoking, those that consumed more caffeine (equivalent to almost seven cups of 240 ml of coffee a day) had 13% more chances to age healthily than those that consumed less caffeine (less than one cup a day).
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Drinking tea or decaffeinated coffee was not associated with healthy aging, according to the researchers. This may be because participants usually consumed less tea and decaffeinated coffee, so perhaps there was less likely to find benefits linked to them, said Sara Mahdavi, a deputy professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto and study leader. Tea and decaffeinated coffee also have less caffeine, and tea has different plant compounds of ordinary coffee, which may explain the results, he added.
Drinking soda, another potential source of caffeine, was associated with a significant reduction in the chances of healthy aging.
Mahdavi warned that while drinking up to seven small cups of coffee a day has been associated with healthy aging in his study, this does not necessarily mean that drinking this amount will benefit all people or that it is healthy to do so. Research in other groups suggests that the benefits of coffee can stabilize or even decrease when consuming more than three to four cups a day.
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What other research suggests?
Many other studies have related regular coffee consumption to a lower risk of early death. In a study with over 46,000 adults in the US, published in May, Zhang and his colleagues found that those who consumed one to three cups of coffee a day had about 15% less likely to die in the next nine to 11 years than those who didn’t drink coffee.
This benefit disappeared, however, to people who added more than half teaspoon sugar to the coffee and for those who added more than 1 gram of saturated fat (equivalent to about one tablespoon of cream or 3.5 tablespoons of whole milk) per cup.
Research also suggests that people who drink coffee regularly have a lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, liver disease, osteoporosis and some cancers.
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These types of studies cannot prove cause and effect, said Aladdin Shadyab, a professor of public health and medicine at the University of California, San Diego. But since the benefits associated with coffee have been so consistent, it is unlikely to be fully explained by other aspects of the person’s life, said Zhang.
In any case, coffee consumption is often associated with unhealthy habits, such as smoking and less exercise. The fact that the benefits appear even considering these differences indicates that coffee is probably helping, Zhang said.
How can coffee protect your health?
Researchers are not completely certain for which coffee can be beneficial. “It’s a bit a mystery,” said Marilyn Cornelis, an associate professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine.
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Studies with mice have shown that caffeine can improve memory and protect brain cells against damage. And studies in humans have found connections between regular (non -decaffeinated) coffee consumption and reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease.
Both ordinary and decaffeinated coffee contains hundreds of chemical compounds, including many that can reduce inflammation and prevent cell damage, Mahdavi said.
There are many other ways, with more evidence, to improve your health and longevity, Shadyab added, such as following a balanced diet, exercising regularly, sleeping enough and maintaining an active social life.
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