New review highlights that daily coffee consumption can add up to two extra years of healthy aging

MILAN, Italy – A new review paper review paper¹ published in Ageing Research Reviews and supported by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC) explores the science behind coffee’s relationship with healthy aging. The percentage of the global population aged 65 and above is growing rapidly and only expected to continue to rise – expanding from 10% in 2022 to 16% in 2050². This paper underlines the important role that regular, moderate coffee consumption can play for people in this aging population, as part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

For context, the European Food Safety Authority consider consuming up to 400mg of caffeine (3-5 cups of coffee) per day to be a moderate and safe amount for most adults. For pregnant or lactating women, caffeine intake should be reduced to 200mg per day³.

As one of the most widely studied commodities worldwide, over 50 studies have already observed coffee’s potential role in mitigating against all-cause mortality – playing a discrete but nonetheless significant role in reducing risk of cardiovascular disease, cancers, respiratory diseases, cognitive decline, and frailty.

The new review found that regular coffee consumption adds an average of 1.8 years of healthy living to a person’s life – meaning not only do they live longer, but also healthier lives.

Some research suggests that other nutritional ‘anti-aging’ interventions may have a gender bias, however the review concluded the increased healthy life expectancy attributed to regular coffee consumption is seen in both men and women.

In addition to coffee’s role in reducing the risk of some major chronic diseases, the team behind the review also specifically explored existing research around coffee’s important role in biological mechanisms linked with the aging process.

This included coffee’s influence in mitigating genomic instability or cell mutations, which are a known trigger of aging, and strengthening regular cell function. Importantly, the review focused on studies on humans and human tissue only for these mechanisms – highlighting results that provide a more accurate and reliable understanding of coffee’s effects on human health.

Many traditional clinical recommendations for older people have advised decreasing or even avoiding coffee consumption altogether^4,5,6,7. This review suggests that these guidelines should now be re-evaluated on the basis of the existing compelling scientific evidence for coffee’s role in healthy aging.

While coffee is most commonly associated with its caffeine content, it also includes a mixture of over 2,000 potentially bioactive compounds. Polyphenol components may provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, with roles including reducing neuroinflammation or regulating insulin sensitivity.

While both caffeine and non-caffeine components of coffee can help extend healthy lifespan, there is still much we don’t know about the exact mechanisms behind the role these components play. The authors highlight the strong potential for a wealth of further research on coffee’s health benefits in this field.

Lead author Rodrigo Cunha, University of Coimbra said: “We know that the world’s population is aging faster than ever, which is why it’s increasingly important to explore dietary interventions which may allow people to not only live longer but also healthier lives. Traditional clinical recommendations have at times overlooked coffee’s role in healthy aging, but with a strong research base around how regular consumption can potentially reduce some of the most chronic diseases facing society, it is likely time to re-evaluate these”.

Cunha continues: “Our review underlines the role regular, moderate coffee consumption can play in mediating against the biological mechanisms which naturally slow or fail as we get older – triggering a range of potential health issues and comorbidities. And there is still room to understand more about exactly how these mechanisms work, as well as which individuals may be biologically pre-disposed to benefitting most from coffee’s interactions with them.”

Readers interested in finding out more about coffee and health can click here.

Notes

• Moderate coffee consumption can be defined as 3–5 cups per day, based on the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) review of caffeine safety².
• Read research overviews into the relationship between coffee consumption and life expectancy, as well as wider health conditions on the ISIC website.
• ISIC press office team contact information: isic.kaizo@kaizo.co.uk.

Corresponding author

• Rodrigo A. Cunha, MIA-Portugal, Multidisciplinary Institute of Ageing, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Portugal

About ISIC

The Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC) is a not-for-profit organisation, established in 1990 and dedicated to contributing and consolidating balanced scientific information on coffee production and consumption – providing a reference for professionals and authorities who address the health and wellbeing of both people and the environment.

It’s activities include:

• Study of scientific matters
• Evaluation of studies and scientific information
• Support of independent scientific research
• Dissemination of balanced scientific evidence and knowledge to a broad range of stakeholders

ISIC respects scientific research ethics in all its activities. ISIC’s communications are based on sound science and rely on scientific studies derived from peer-reviewed scientific journals and other publications.

ISIC members are six of the major European coffee companies: illycaffè, JDE Peet’s, Lavazza, Nestlé, Paulig and Tchibo.

About Coffee & Health

Coffee & Health is a science-based resource developed for healthcare and other professional audiences and provides the latest information and research into coffee, caffeine and health.

About the University of Coimbra

The University of Coimbra (UC) is a public higher education institution founded in 1290 that is a reference in scientific research in Portugal. UC hosts the Multidisciplinary Institute of Ageing (MIA-Portugal), the first research institute in Southern Europe focused on the molecular and biological basis of ageing and working for the health and wellbeing of an ageing population. MIA-Portugal’s multidisciplinary approach aims to bridge the gap between top-level research in ageing and its application in clinical/geriatric care.

References

1. Lopes CR & Cunha RA (2024). Impact of coffee intake on human aging: Epidemiology and cellular mechanisms. Ageing Research Reviews 102.
2. United Nations (2024). Global Issues: Ageing. Accessed at: https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/ageing (September 2024)
3. EFSA (2015). Scientific Opinion on the Safety of Caffeine, EFSA Journal, 13(5):4102.
4. Troyer RJ & Markle GE (1984) Coffee Drinking: An Emerging Social Problem? Social Problems 31 (4):403-416
5. Soroko S, Chang J, Barrett-Connor E (1996) Reasons for changing caffeinated coffee consumption: the Rancho Bernardo Study. J Am Coll Nutr 15(1): 97-10.
6. James JE (1997) Is habitual caffeine use a preventable cardiovascular risk factor? Lancet 349: 279-81.
7. Sotos-Prieto M., Carrasco P., Sorlí J.V., Guillén M., Guillém-Sáiz P., Quiles L., Corella D (2010) Coffee and tea consumption in a high cardiovascular risk Mediterranean population. Nutr Hosp 25:388-393.