Health
Sip Your Way to Longevity: The Surprising Coffee Habit Boosting Women’s Health
A recent long-term study has provided some encouraging news for female coffee enthusiasts. This research, spanning over three decades, suggests that women who consume a specific amount of coffee daily tend to enjoy longer and healthier lives.
The study, unveiled at the American Society for Nutrition’s annual meeting, scrutinized dietary and health data from 47,513 women dating back to 1984, with a comprehensive 30-year follow-up.
Participants completed detailed food frequency questionnaires that evaluated their intake of coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea, and soda. After the 30-year period, researchers examined the relationship between caffeine consumption and the likelihood of experiencing healthy aging.
“Healthy aging was defined as living to age 70 or older, being free from 11 major chronic diseases, maintaining physical function, having good mental health, exhibiting no cognitive impairment and showing no memory complaints,” explains a press release.
By 2016, nearly 4,000 women were classified in the “healthy aging group.” Between the ages of 45 and 60, these women consumed an average of 315 mg of caffeine daily, with over 80 percent sourced from regular coffee. This amount corresponds to approximately three small cups of coffee or one-and-a-half large cups.
Each additional cup of coffee was linked to a 2 to 5 percent increased likelihood of healthy aging. The benefits were most pronounced at five small cups per day, “or about 2.5 cups according to today’s measures,” notes the press release.
This aligns closely with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) guideline suggesting adults consume no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine daily, roughly equivalent to two or three 12-fluid-ounce cups.
Interestingly, those who drank tea or decaffeinated coffee did not exhibit significant benefits related to healthy aging. Conversely, soda drinkers faced a 20 to 26 percent reduced likelihood of healthy aging for each cup consumed.
“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,” said researcher Sara Mahdavi, RD, PhD, a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, and an adjunct professor at University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Nutritional Sciences.
“These results, while preliminary, suggest that small, consistent habits can shape long-term health,” Mahdavi continued. “Moderate coffee intake may offer some protective benefits when combined with other healthy behaviors such as regular exercise, a healthy diet and avoiding smoking.”
Mahdavi and her team aim to delve deeper into the specific bioactive compounds in coffee that interact with genetic and metabolic aging markers.
Previous studies have also linked coffee consumption to cognitive advantages, such as a reduced risk of developing Parkinson’s and dementia.
“Coffee is a beverage that contains caffeine and antioxidants, both of which have been proven to possess neuroprotective properties,” Krutika Nanavati, RDN, a registered dietitian and nutritionist, and a medical advisor at Clinicspots, previously explained to Best Life. “Coffee consumption has been linked to enhanced cognitive abilities, including memory, attention, and processing skills. It stimulates the central nervous system, promotes alertness, and reduces the perception of fatigue.”
Furthermore, a 2024 study indicated that consuming around three cups of coffee daily could lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and high blood pressure. There is also evidence suggesting coffee may reduce the risk of certain cancers, including melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, head and neck cancers, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and liver cancer.
“Hundreds of biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols are found in roasted coffee,” explains the American Cancer Society. “These and other coffee compounds have been shown to increase energy expenditure, inhibit cellular damage, regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and/or inhibit metastasis, among other activities.”
However, it’s important to note that individual caffeine tolerance varies, and some individuals may need to limit or avoid coffee for health reasons. Consulting with a healthcare professional can help determine the appropriate amount of coffee for personal health needs.
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