The findings of a new study involving nearly 50,000 women, observed for 30 years, suggest that a morning cup of coffee may do more than just boost energy. It may also help women stay sharp, strong, and mentally fit as they age.
The analysis found that women who drank caffeinated coffee in midlife were more likely to age healthily. However, researchers found no association with tea or decaffeinated coffee. Conversely, consuming more cola was associated with a significantly lower likelihood of healthy aging.
“While previous studies have linked coffee to individual health outcomes, our study is the first to examine the influence of coffee on various aspects of aging over three decades,” said Dr. Sara Mahdavi, BSc, HBSc, RD, MSc, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University and an adjunct professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine. “The findings suggest that caffeinated coffee — unlike tea or decaffeinated coffee — may uniquely support the aging process and preserve both mental and physical functioning.”
Dr. Mahdavi will present the findings at NUTRITION 2025 — the premier annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, taking place May 31–June 3 in Orlando.
“Our study has several crucial strengths,” said Dr. Mahdavi. “In addition to the large sample size and 30-year follow-up, we examined various aspects of longevity and healthy aging, as well as comprehensive information on diet and lifestyle habits, which we collected every four years since the study began.”
The study included 47,513 women from the Nurses’ Health Study, whose dietary and health data have been collected since 1984. Researchers assessed caffeine intake using validated food frequency questionnaires that included consumption of major sources of caffeine such as coffee, tea, cola, and decaffeinated coffee. Healthy aging was defined as living to age 70 or older free of 11 major chronic diseases, maintaining physical functioning, having good mental health, no cognitive impairment, and no memory problems.
After 30 years of observation, researchers estimated how the probability of healthy aging changed per 80 mg of caffeine consumed daily by study participants. They also examined specific beverages such as coffee, tea, decaffeinated coffee (per 230 ml cup), and cola (per 350 ml glass). These preliminary analyses took into account other factors that could influence healthy aging, such as body weight, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, educational level, and dietary protein content.
By 2016, 3,706 of the women studied met all the criteria to be classified as "Healthy Agers." In midlife, between the ages of 45 and 60, these women consumed an average of 315 mg of caffeine per day – about the amount in three small or one and a half large cups of coffee by today's standards. More than 80% of this caffeine came from regular coffee consumption.
For women in the "Healthy Agers" group, each additional cup of coffee per day was associated with a 2% to 5% higher chance of success later in life. This applies up to five small cups per day, or about 2.5 cups by today's standards.
Researchers found no significant association between the consumption of decaffeinated coffee or tea and an increased probability of healthy aging. Importantly, each additional small glass of soda – another major source of caffeine – was associated with a 20% to 26% lower probability of healthy aging. This highlights that not all sources of caffeine offer benefits.
NUTRITION 2025 is the premier meeting of the American Society for Nutrition and the leading educational event for nutrition professionals worldwide. NUTRITION brings together lab scientists, practicing clinicians, population health researchers, and societal intervention investigators to find solutions to the greatest nutrition challenges of our time. Our audience also includes emerging leaders in the field – students, postdoctoral fellows, and medical students. NUTRITION 2025 will be held May 31–June 3 in Orlando. https://nutrition.org/meeting/ #Nutrition2025
