Researchers at the University of Coimbra in Portugal analyzed 85 studies worldwide examining coffee’s impact on health. The analysis indicates that three cups of coffee daily is associated with an additional 1.84 years of life spent without serious illness.

Previous studies have shown that coffee could preventheart attacksand reduceliver diseaserisk.The researchers said coffee consumption also appears to lower the risk ofdiseases common in older adults, including heart disease, stroke, respiratory illness, some cancers, diabetes, dementia, major depression, and frailty.

Coffee May Help Protect Your Muscles as You Age, Study Shows

Why Might Coffee Extend Healthspan?

Antioxidants in coffee can reduce the chemical deterioration of cells and allow for the cells to recover better after being exposed to harmful effects like inflammation, according toRodrigo Cunha, PhD, a co-author of the review and a professor of neuroscience at the University of Coimbra.

Based on the review, the researchers said that coffee’s benefits may come from its mix of over 2,000 potentially bioactive compounds. These includepolyphenols, which are linked to reducing inflammation and regulating insulin production.

“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 wrote.

Genetic factors also influence the extent of coffee’s health benefits. Some people may experience the effects of coffee more quickly, Cunha said.

This paper can be viewed as an “accumulation of the available data on a wide variety of aging processes,” but the exact mechanism of how coffee may improve longevity is still unknown, saidShannon Kilgore, MD,a neurologist at the Veterans Affairs Health Care System in Palo Alto, California and Stanford University School of Medicine.

Does Brewing Method Matter?

This may be because filtered coffee removes much of the cafestol, a natural compound in coffee that can raise blood cholesterol levels, explained Stephen Devries, MD, a panelist and a preventive cardiologist and executive director of the educational nonprofit Gaples Institute in Chicago.

How Much Coffee Should You Drink?

Two to three cups of coffee per day seems to have some health benefits, Kilgore said. However, brewing, roasting, and coffee bean type can all affect the amount of caffeine in the coffee.

Cunha said that older adults shouldn’t increase their coffee consumption to improve their health.Consuming too much caffeinecould lead to symptoms like heart palpitations, high blood pressure, and anxiety.

The FDA also warns of overconsumption of caffeine, especially if you’re sensitive to it. Energy or protein bars, ice cream, chewing gum, dietary supplements and some over-the-counter medications may already have caffeine as an added ingredient.

“There’s no difference in the way your body handles or the safety between the caffeine that occurs naturally in coffee and tea, for example, and what’s added to a product, so be sure to consider all sources of caffeine in your diet,” the FDA stated.

While decaffeinated coffees and teas have less caffeine than caffeinated coffee, they still contain some amount of caffeine.

There Are So Many Health Studies on Coffee. Which One Should You Trust?

What This Means For You

3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Lopes CR, Cunha RA.Impact of coffee intake on human aging: epidemiology and cellular mechanisms.Ageing Res Rev. 2024;102:102581. doi:10.1016/j.arr.2024.102581Kennedy OJ, Fallowfield JA, Poole R, Hayes PC, Parkes J, Roderick PJ.All coffee types decrease the risk of adverse clinical outcomes in chronic liver disease: a UK Biobank study.BMC Public Health. 2021;21(1):970. doi:10.1186/s12889-021-10991-7Choi Y, Chang Y, Ryu S, et al.Coffee consumption and coronary artery calcium in young and middle-aged asymptomatic adults.Heart. 2015;101(9):686-691. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2014-306663

3 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Lopes CR, Cunha RA.Impact of coffee intake on human aging: epidemiology and cellular mechanisms.Ageing Res Rev. 2024;102:102581. doi:10.1016/j.arr.2024.102581Kennedy OJ, Fallowfield JA, Poole R, Hayes PC, Parkes J, Roderick PJ.All coffee types decrease the risk of adverse clinical outcomes in chronic liver disease: a UK Biobank study.BMC Public Health. 2021;21(1):970. doi:10.1186/s12889-021-10991-7Choi Y, Chang Y, Ryu S, et al.Coffee consumption and coronary artery calcium in young and middle-aged asymptomatic adults.Heart. 2015;101(9):686-691. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2014-306663

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Lopes CR, Cunha RA.Impact of coffee intake on human aging: epidemiology and cellular mechanisms.Ageing Res Rev. 2024;102:102581. doi:10.1016/j.arr.2024.102581Kennedy OJ, Fallowfield JA, Poole R, Hayes PC, Parkes J, Roderick PJ.All coffee types decrease the risk of adverse clinical outcomes in chronic liver disease: a UK Biobank study.BMC Public Health. 2021;21(1):970. doi:10.1186/s12889-021-10991-7Choi Y, Chang Y, Ryu S, et al.Coffee consumption and coronary artery calcium in young and middle-aged asymptomatic adults.Heart. 2015;101(9):686-691. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2014-306663

Lopes CR, Cunha RA.Impact of coffee intake on human aging: epidemiology and cellular mechanisms.Ageing Res Rev. 2024;102:102581. doi:10.1016/j.arr.2024.102581

Kennedy OJ, Fallowfield JA, Poole R, Hayes PC, Parkes J, Roderick PJ.All coffee types decrease the risk of adverse clinical outcomes in chronic liver disease: a UK Biobank study.BMC Public Health. 2021;21(1):970. doi:10.1186/s12889-021-10991-7

Choi Y, Chang Y, Ryu S, et al.Coffee consumption and coronary artery calcium in young and middle-aged asymptomatic adults.Heart. 2015;101(9):686-691. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2014-306663

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