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 altogether4,5,6,7. 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. 

“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.”