For many a cup of coffee or two is necessary to get through the morning, but research suggests the caffeinated beverage could also help women age more healthily.
A study which followed almost 50,000 women over a 32-year period found those who drank caffeinated coffee in midlife were more likely to stay sharp, strong and mentally well as they aged.
However, the researchers did not find any links with tea or decaf coffee.
They also found drinking caffeinated soft drinks such as cola was tied to a significantly lower chance of healthy ageing.
“While past studies have linked coffee to individual health outcomes, our study is the first to assess coffee’s impact across multiple domains of ageing over three decades,” said Dr Sara Mahdavi, a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University.
“The findings suggest that caffeinated coffee – not tea or decaf – may uniquely support ageing trajectories that preserve both mental and physical function.”
The study collected dietary and health data from 47,513 women who were part of the Nurses’ Health Study every four years from 1984, with the researchers assessing caffeine intake using food frequency questionnaires that included the consumption of major contributors of caffeine such as coffee, tea, cola and decaffeinated coffee.
Healthy ageing was defined as living to the age of 70 or older, being free from 11 major chronic diseases, having good mental health and physical function, exhibiting no cognitive impairment and showing no memory complaints.
By 2016, 3,706 women met those requirements, and among them they typically consumed an average of 315mg of caffeine a day – roughly the equivalent of three small cups of coffee or one and a half large cups.
The study found each extra cup of coffee a day was linked to a 2-5% higher chance of doing well later in life – up to five cups, or around 2.5 cups according to today’s measures.
The study also found each additional small glass of fizzy drink was associated with a 20-26% lower likelihood of healthy ageing.
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Two cups potentially beneficial for most people
The researchers said up to two cups of coffee a day would be potentially beneficial for most people, but said drinking more may offer additional benefits for some, but may not be healthy for others.
They said coffee contains a range of compounds that could act together to influence ageing pathways and said they plan to investigate how specific bioactive compounds in coffee interact with genetic and metabolic markers, especially in women.
“These results, while preliminary, suggest that small, consistent habits can shape long-term health,” said Dr Mahdavi.
“Moderate coffee intake may offer some protective benefits when combined with other healthy behaviours such as regular exercise, a healthy diet and avoiding smoking.
“While this study adds to prior evidence suggesting coffee intake may be linked with healthy ageing, the benefits from coffee are relatively modest compared to the impact of overall healthy lifestyle habits and warrant further investigation.”
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Dr Mahdavi presented the team’s findings at the American Society for Nutrition’s annual conference in Orlando.
The NHS says for most adults consuming up to 400mg of caffeine, roughly the equivalent of four cups of coffee, is generally considered safe.
