Women Who Drink This Much Coffee Live Longer, Healthier Lives, 30-Year Study Finds
The same can't be said for tea drinkers or those who brew decaffeinated coffee.
There has long been a debate in the medical community about whether or not coffee is good for you, and how much is considered too much. But the results of one 30-year study are in, and it’s welcome news for female coffee drinkers. Researchers found that women who drink a certain amount of coffee each day live longer, healthier lives.
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Scientists looked at 30 years of health data from female coffee drinkers.
The new study, which was presented at the American Society for Nutrition’s annual meeting, analyzed dietary and health data for 47,513 women, starting as early as 1984, with a 30-year follow-up period.
The participants filled out validated food frequency questionnaires that assessed how much coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea, and soda they drank. After the 30-year period, the researchers compared caffeine consumption with the likelihood of 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.
Moderate, daily coffee drinkers had a higher likelihood of healthy aging.
By 2016, nearly 4,000 of the participants fell into the “healthy aging group.” Between ages 45 and 60, these women averaged 315 mg of caffeine per day, more than 80 percent of which came from regular coffee. This equates to three small cups of coffee or one-and-a-half large cups.
Every additional cup of coffee correlated with a 2 to 5 percent higher likelihood of healthy aging. The benefits topped off at five small cups per day, “or about 2.5 cups according to today’s measures,” notes the press release.
This is roughly in line with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) recommendation that adults consume no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, about two or three 12-fluid-ounce cups.
Those who drank tea or decaffeinated coffee showed no significant healthy aging benefits. Unsurprisingly, those who drank soda experienced a 20 to 26 percent lower likelihood of healthy aging for each cup they drank.
“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 reseracher 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.”
RELATED: 22 Health Benefits Coming From Your Cup of Coffee.
What makes coffee healthy?
Mahdavi and her team plan to continue their research to better understand the specific bioactive compounds in coffee that interact with genetic and metabolic aging markers.
However, previous research has linked coffee with cognitive benefits, namely that it reduces the 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.”
Moreover, a 2024 study found that drinking about three cups of coffee a day lowered one’s risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and high blood pressure. There is even evidence to support that coffee can 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, everyone’s caffeine tolerance is different, and some people may need to avoid coffee and other caffeinated beverages for various health reasons. Therefore, speak to your doctor about how much coffee you should safely be consuming.
