A new study supported by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC) has found regular coffee consumption can add an average of 1.8 years of healthy living to a person’s life.
The review, published in Ageing Research Reviews, underlines the important role that regular, moderate coffee consumption can play as part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
The European Food Safety Authority considers up to 400 milligrams of caffeine – about three to five cups of coffee – per day to be a moderate and safe amount for most adults. For pregnant or lactating women, caffeine intake should be reduced to 200 milligrams per day.
More than 50 studies have highlighted coffee’s potential in reducing all-cause mortality, showing a significant role in lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory diseases, cognitive decline, and frailty.
The review’s findings that regular coffee consumption adds almost two years of healthy living to a person’s life means not only do they live longer, but they also lead healthier lives.
Coffee is primarily known for its caffeine content, but it also contains more than 2000 potentially bioactive compounds. Among these, polyphenols may offer antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, including reducing neuroinflammation and regulating insulin sensitivity.
Although caffeine and non-caffeine components of coffee may contribute to a longer, healthier lifespan, the exact mechanisms remain unclear, with the authors emphasising the potential for further research on coffee’s health benefits.
“We know that the world’s population is aging faster than ever, which is why it’s increasingly important to explore dietary interventions which may allow people to not only live longer but also healthier lives,” says lead author Rodrigo Cunha from the University of Coimbra.
He adds that many traditional clinical recommendations for older people have advised decreasing or avoiding coffee consumption altogether. This review suggests that these guidelines should now be re-evaluated on the basis of the existing compelling scientific evidence for coffee’s role in healthy ageing.
“Our review underlines the role regular, moderate coffee consumption can play in mediating against the biological mechanisms which naturally slow or fail as we get older – triggering a range of potential health issues and comorbidities. And there is still room to understand more about exactly how these mechanisms work, as well as which individuals may be biologically pre-disposed to benefitting most from coffee’s interactions with them,” says Cunha.
