- Coffee is perhaps the most popular beverage in the world, with an estimated 2 million cups consumed globally each day.
- Over the years, there have been many studies discussing the potential positive and negative health effects of coffee.
- A new review study from researchers at the University of Coimbra and funded by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee says that drinking coffee regularly may add an average of 1.8 years of healthy living to a person’s life.
For many years, studies have spoken of the potential benefits and drawbacks to drinking coffee — a beverage that is so popular, about 2 million cups are reportedly consumed globally every day.
Now, a new review of the existing literature conducted by researchers at the University of Coimbra in Portugal says that drinking coffee regularly may add an average of 1.8 years of healthy living to a person’s life.
The review was funded by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC), the collective nonprofit organisation set up by companies from the coffee industry, including illycaffè, JDE Peet’s, Lavazza, Nestlé, Paulig, and Tchibo.
In this review, researchers analyzed the findings of more than 50 previous studies examining how coffee might impact a person’s lifespan.
“Coffee is the most widely consumed beverage after water, which should justify a detailed understanding on its impact [on] health,” Rodrigo Cunha, PhD, principal investigator in the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology and professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Coimbra in Portugal, and lead author of this study, told Medical News Today.
“Moderate intake of coffee was found to decrease the incidence of several chronic diseases,” Cunha told us.
“Since age is [a] major risk factor for the development of several chronic diseases, it made sense to inquire if the benefit of coffee intake was due to its ability to decrease the aging process,” he noted.
Upon analysis, Cunha and his team calculated that people who regularly consume coffee could potentially add an average of 1.8 years of healthy living to their lives.
“Aging of the world’s population may well be a trap if people leave longer but with more diseases and poorer quality of life,” Cunha said. “Thus the quest should be to increase health span rather than lifespan.”
Cunha explained that the molecular constituents of coffee affect mechanisms that are linked to aging processes, helping to slow them down.
“In simple words, chlorogenic acids are antioxidants that can attenuate the chemical deterioration of our cells and allow for better cell recovery after exposure to noxious stimuli,” he explained.
“In parallel, caffeine refrains the activation of receptors signaling stress and/or danger prompting a reorganization of resources for optimal and more constant function, thus preserving the quality of our cells despite recurrent challenges,” added Cunha.
Nevertheless, “there is a long road ahead to understand who will benefit the most from coffee intake and what types of coffee and what types of patterns of coffee intake afford the maximal benefits,” he pointed out.
MNT also spoke with Scott Kaiser, MD, a board-certified geriatrician and director of Geriatric Cognitive Health for the Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, about this review.
Kaiser, who was not involved in this research, commented it was a positive, comprehensive review of current literature on coffee consumption.
“It’s encouraging because people enjoy drinking coffee, and it’s good to know that it may actually have some significant health benefits, particularly when it comes to healthy aging,” Kaiser said. “This is just a review of the literature that’s out there, so there really shouldn’t be any significant bias, but it’s important to note that this work touting the health benefits of coffee was funded by the coffee industry.”
“I really appreciate the way the authors frame this with regard to the fact that we have this dramatic population aging occurring, certainly in the [United States] but [also] globally, and it’s really an unprecedented phenomenon. We’re approaching the first time in human history where we’ll have more people over the age of 65 than under the age of 18, so it’s really remarkable — percentages of the population of people over 65 that previously have been unimaginable.”
– Scott Kaiser, MD
“So I really appreciate framing in that perspective and thinking about what are factors, particularly lifestyle factors, practices, approaches in everyday living that can not just support greater longevity, but also healthy longevity — not just living longer, but living better,” he added.
“It’s very important to be thinking about these things [and] to think about coffee and other factors that could have positive impacts at the individual and population level,” noted Kaiser.
Finally, MNT spoke with Monique Richard, MS, RDN, LDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Nutrition-In-Sight, for tips on how coffee-drinking readers can get the most health benefits from their favorite beverage.
“Coffee studies have become like egg studies — one day the headlines related to it may read ‘good for you’ and the next day they read ‘bad for you’,” Richard said. “The public is confused about what they should consume, how much, if it is beneficial, or harmful and don’t know who to trust or what to do.”
She encouraged everyone to consider some key questions when thinking about whether coffee may add a couple years to your life.
One of them is: How much coffee are you drinking, and how often? “Keep in mind these studies are usually using an average intake of 3–5 (8-ounce) cups per day to measure benefit, or
Furthermore, she said people may want to consider if coffee causes them any unpleasant side effects before upping their intake:
“Do you have symptoms of acid reflux [such as] chest pain, burning sensation, throat irritation? [Then,] what do you add to your coffee? For example, adding heaps of sugar may decrease the benefits referred to earlier. Drink [coffee] as plain as possible and unsweetened, or sweetened with a natural sweetener such as cane sugar, honey, [or] monk fruit […]”
For those who are sensitive to caffeine — for instance, they easily get jittery after drinking coffee, struggle to go to sleep, get anxiety, or heart palpitations — caffeinated coffee or drinks may be best avoided.
“If drinking decaf, [consider] what process is used to make [it] — read up about decaf coffee processes and considerations,” Richard advised.
She also suggested that people consider whether drinking coffee is an enjoyable activity for them, or whether they are using it purely as a stimulant, to boost their energy levels. If the latter, Richard indicated, that may “not [be] conducive to long-term health.”
The source of coffee is also an important consideration when it comes to its impact from health. If the coffee beans are not “free of pesticides, farmed, and processed responsibly,” or if the coffee is served “in a cup [made of potentially harmful materials] such as styrofoam,” then the health impact may well be negative, Richard pointed out.
“Don’t count on coffee […] to be a life-extender magic bullet wrapped up in your favorite mug — remember that there are multiple factors that contribute to overall health, longevity, and quality of life. If coffee is a coveted daily ritual, take a moment to assess — potentially with an registered dietician nutritionist (RDN) — but then zoom out to take in all the other important factors in your world such as the company you keep, the adventures you seek, the good deeds you do, and the learning of what works for you.”
