Coffee Linked to Healthy Aging in Middle-Aged Women, Study Finds

This exciting news reveals that middle-aged women who drink coffee are more likely to remain active, strong, and mentally healthy as they age. The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition ‘NUTRITION 2025’ in Orlando. In contrast, researchers found no significant association with tea or decaffeinated beverages, while higher consumption of colas was linked to significantly lower chances of healthy aging. The study analyzed dietary and health data from 47,513 women collected since 1984. Researchers evaluated caffeine intake using validated food frequency questionnaires, focusing on major caffeine sources such as coffee, tea, cola, and decaffeinated coffee. Healthy aging was defined as living until at least 70 years old without eleven major chronic diseases, maintaining physical function, having good mental health, no cognitive impairments, and no memory issues. After 30 years of follow-up, researchers calculated how daily caffeine consumption influenced the likelihood of healthy aging. Preliminary analyses accounted for factors like body weight, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, education level, and protein intake. By 2016, 3,706 women met all criteria for healthy aging. On average, these women consumed about 315 mg of caffeine daily (around three small cups or one and a half large cups), with over 80% coming from regular coffee. For women in the healthy aging group, each additional cup of coffee per day (up to five small cups or roughly two and a half large cups) correlated with a 2-5% higher chance of staying healthy later in life. Coffee outperformed decaf and tea, with researchers finding no significant link between their consumption and increased healthy aging probabilities. Importantly, each extra serving of soda-type cola drinks was associated with a 20-26% lower probability of healthy aging, confirming not all caffeine sources offer benefits. Moderate coffee consumption may provide protective benefits when combined with other healthy habits like regular exercise, balanced nutrition, and avoiding smoking. While this study adds to previous evidence linking coffee intake to healthy aging, its benefits are relatively modest compared to overall healthy lifestyle impacts and require further investigation. Researchers emphasize that up to two cups of coffee daily is generally safe and potentially beneficial for most people. Higher consumption might offer additional advantages for some but could be unhealthy for others. To better understand coffee’s impact on aging, future research will explore how specific bioactive compounds interact with genetic and metabolic aging markers, particularly in women. This understanding could pave the way for personalized medical approaches promoting longevity and cognitive health.