Drinking coffee helps women age better, landmark 30-year study finds

Findings from new research three decades in the making suggest that women who drink coffee age better.

Analysis of almost 50,000 women over 32 years has revealed that those who drank coffee in midlife were more likely to exhibit health ageing, and that it could help them stay sharp, strong and mentally well.

The research, which was presented at the American Society for Nutrition’s annual conference in Orlando, did not see the same link with healthy ageing with those who drank tea or decaffeinated coffee.

“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,” Dr Sara Mahdavi, a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University who led the research said.

“The findings suggest that caffeinated coffee—not tea or decaf—may uniquely support aging trajectories that preserve both mental and physical function.”

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The study included 47,513 women from the Nurses’ Health Study, a large-scale American research scheme with dietary and health data.

The participants were aged between 45 and 60 when they were enrolled in the research in 1984, which saw them complete surveys on their diet, health and lifestyle - including their caffeine intake - every four years.

Healthy aging was defined as living to age 70 or older and being free from 11 major chronic diseases such as cancer or type 2 diabetes.

It also included maintaining physical function, having good mental health, exhibiting no cognitive impairment and showing no memory complaints.

By 2016, 3,706 of the women in the study met all the requirements for being considered healthy agers.

In mid-life, these women typically consumed an average of 315 mg of caffeine per day — roughly the amount in three small cups of coffee by today’s standards. More than 80 per cent of that caffeine came from regular coffee consumption.

For women in the healthy agers group, each extra cup of coffee per day was tied to a 2 per cent to 5 per cent higher chance of doing well later in life.

The findings presented were evaluated and selected by a committee of experts but are yet to appear in a peer-reviewed journal.

The NHS advises people not to drink more than four cups of coffee a day, as it may increase your blood pressure.

“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 aging, the benefits from coffee are relatively modest compared to the impact of overall healthy lifestyle habits and warrant further investigation.”