Scientists have pinpointed a benefit of a morning cup of coffee beyond an energy boost.
A study found drinking at least one eight-ounce cup of caffeinated coffee in the morning – a mere 16 sips – helps women age more healthily.
That includes a lower risk of chronic diseases, cognitive decline which is linked to dementia, and physical limitations.
A public health expert at Harvard University reviewed data on 47,000 women, many of whom provided dietary, lifestyle, and health data since 1984.
Dr Sara Mahdavi, who led the study, said: ‘In addition to the large sample size and 30 years of follow-up, we assessed several different aspects of longevity and healthy aging as well as very comprehensive information on nutritional and lifestyle habits that were collected every four years after the initiation of the study.’
Dr Madhavi defined ‘healthy aging’ as living to age 70 or older, free of 11 chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetes, mobility problems, having good mental health, and no cognitive impairment or memory problems.
With each additional cup of coffee per day, though generally no more that two and a half cups, the women in the healthy agers group had a five percent greater chance of maintaining their physical and brain health later in life.
Dr Madhavi said: ‘The findings suggest that caffeinated coffee, not tea or decaf, may uniquely support aging trajectories that preserve both mental and physical function.’
Each extra daily coffee (up to roughly 2.5 cups) gave healthy-aging women 5% better odds of preserving both physical and cognitive health
After 30 years of tracking, Dr Mahdavi concluded that every extra 80 milligrams of caffeine per day – about one small cup of coffee – had a one percent higher chance of meeting healthy aging criteria.
It also improved every aspect of health, including disease prevention, mobility, and mental sharpness, by two to five percent.
While coffee protected against diseases linked to old age, soda had the opposite effect.
Each daily glass of Coca-Cola, Pepsi, or other soft drinks was linked with a 19 percent lower chance of aging healthily and a 25 percent lower chance of meeting the healthy aging criteria.
After tracking more than 47,000 women since 1984, only about 3,700 – just eight percent – met all the healthy aging criteria by 2016.
In middle age (45 to 60), the healthy agers drank about 315mg of caffeine per day, the equivalent of about three standard cups. Coffee accounted for over 80 percent of their caffeine intake.
The researchers did not find any significant association between drinking decaffeinated coffee or tea with an increased likelihood of healthy aging.
‘Our study has several key strengths,’ Dr Mahdavi said.
‘In addition to the large sample size and 30 years of follow-up, we assessed several different aspects of longevity and healthy aging as well as very comprehensive information on nutritional and lifestyle habits that were collected every four years after the initiation of the study.’
Dr Sara Mahdavi, a Harvard scientist who led the study, found that caffeinated coffee—not tea or decaf—appears uniquely protective for maintaining both physical and cognitive health with age
Researchers behind the Nurses’ Health Study issued two questionnaires every two years to roughly 122,000 registered nurses ages 30-55 at the study’s start, asking about their dietary habits, medical history, lifestyle (smoking, exercise, caffeine intake, etc.), as well as menopause status, hormone use, and mental health status.
The study also collected blood, urine, and other bodily samples to examine biomarkers such as chronic inflammation. Some of the nurses have been tracked for over 40 years.
The health benefits of moderate amounts of coffee have been studied for years, and scientists have linked the morning mainstay to reduced risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm disorder.
It has also been linked to a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. A 2016 review of 11 studies in more than 29,000 people found that the more coffee they drank, the lower risk of developing the brain-shrinking, memory-robbing condition.
And coffee consumption was shown in a Harvard University study to reduce diabetes risk. Men who drank one to three cups of coffee daily had a seven percent reduced risk of developing the chronic disease, while women who drank at least four cups had a 30 percent reduced risk.
Dr Mahdavi said: ‘While past studies have linked coffee to individual health outcomes, our study is the first to assess coffee’s impact across multiple domains of aging over three decades.
‘These results, while preliminary, suggest that small, consistent habits can shape long-term health. Moderate coffee intake may offer some protective benefits when combined with other healthy behaviors such as regular exercise, a healthy diet and avoiding smoking.’
She will present the full study at Monday’s meeting of the American Society for Nutrition.
