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Want to reach age with a sharp mind and a healthy body? According to a new survey, some of the answers may be in your coffee cup.
“Women who drank one to three cups of caffeinated coffee a day in their 50s were more likely to reach older adults with good cognitive, physical and mental health from major chronic conditions,” said Dr. Salamadhabi, an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto’s School of Medicine and School of Nutrition Science.
Researchers analyzed dietary data from more than 47,000 women who were part of the nurse health study, according to the study. Released on Monday at the annual meeting of the American Nutrition Association in Orlando. Although the study was presented as an abstract, Mahdhabi said a more detailed manuscript of the study will be submitted for peer review in the coming months.
Women were surveyed in middle-aged and lasted for 30 years to understand mortality and disease rates.
“The study found that moderate caffeinated coffee consumption in middle age is associated with a higher likelihood of healthy aging in 30 years,” Mahdhabi said.
Research has found benefits especially for caffeinated coffee. No similar links were found for tea or caffeinated coffee. And drinking more cola and other caffeinated sodas has reduced the chances of healthy aging.
“This means that coffee in particular maintains or promotes health,” Jacqueline Marie Shobre Leafer donated a women’s heart disease chair, and Dr. David Kao, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz University School of Medicine, said in an email. “Like other studies, they also seem to have found that coffee has particularly advantages over other caffeinated drinks.”
That said, the research is of high quality, added Kao, who was not involved in the study.
This study is also observational. This limits the ability to investigate direct causes and effects. New research can only show that behavior and outcomes are likely to occur together.
Researchers took that into consideration and adjusted for other factors that could link healthy aging, such as coffee drinking and lifestyle, demographics and other dietary differences, but there could be other variations in play, Mahdavi said.
However, the link between coffee and healthy aging is not surprising. That is consistent with previous research, Kao said.
Moderate coffee drinks have previously been linked to lower risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, he added.
Does this mean what you should do? If you don’t have one yet, take the coffee habit? That’s not necessarily the case, Mahdhabi said.
“Coffee may support longevity, but it is not a universal prescription, especially for women. Hormonal changes affect the metabolism of caffeine, so its benefits depend on timing, biology, and personal health,” she said in an email.
Estrogen inhibits liver enzymes, which are important to break down caffeine. In other words, caffeine can last longer in some people, especially those experiencing hormonal transitions such as menopause and pregnancy, or those using oral birth control, Mahdavi said.
Middle-age, the period investigated in this study, is a life stage characterized by changes in women’s hormones and metabolism, she added.
“Medium caffeinated coffee consumption – usually 1-3 cups per day – can be part of a healthy diet for many adults,” says Mahdavi. “However, this should not be taken as a blanket recommendation to start or increase coffee intake with a lifespan target.”
For one thing, the data cannot say whether increased coffee consumption will help you stay healthy, Kao said.
“In other words, women who drink three cups of coffee/day may function better in the long term than non-working drinkers, but I don’t know if non-working drinkers have started drinking three cups a day.
The findings suggest that people don’t necessarily need to reduce their coffee consumption in the name of healthy aging, Kao said.
“Coffee is an important and positive part of everyday life in many cultures around the world. For many, the knowledge that daily coffee or 3 is probably not harmful is welcome news.”
That said, some people need to watch their coffee consumption, such as those with high blood pressure, heart disease, anxiety, and sleep disorders, said. Lu Qi, distinguished chairman and professor of HCA Regents In New Orleans.
Qi was not involved in the study, but was involved in another recent study showing that he had Morning coffee had a better effect on lower mortality than drinking it all day long.
Coffee may be a fun aspect of health, but it does not replace other healthy behaviors, such as eating nutritious foods, exercising, or sleeping, Mahdhabi added.