A new study led by Dr. Sara Mahdavi, at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, recently found some pretty remarkable news. The implication is that coffee consumption may promote healthy aging in women. Researchers tracked 47,513 women over three decades, beginning in 1984. Using the women’s health data, they looked specifically at how coffee intake affected women’s health.
The research revealed a significant link between coffee consumption and successful aging. Compared to women who didn’t drink coffee, those who drank up to seven 6-ounce servings of coffee per day were more likely to age successfully. Specifically, each additional cup of coffee was linked to a 2% to 5% increased chance of being classified as a healthy ager. Intriguingly, the strongest association was seen at around five small cups a day.
The parameters of healthy aging go beyond medically defined health. You have to be at least 70 years of age, disease-free from 11 chronic conditions, experience high levels of mental health, physical functional reserve, no memory or cognitive impairment. By 2016, just 3,706 of the original 47,513 participants had maintained that standard.
In contrast to traditional tea or decaffeinated coffee, the study’s findings suggest that caffeinated coffee uniquely supports aging trajectories that maintain both mental and physical health. Dr. Mahdavi emphasized this point, stating,
“The findings suggest that caffeinated coffee—not tea or decaf—may uniquely support aging trajectories that preserve both mental and physical function.”
- Dr. Sara Mahdavi
Studies have found that drinking coffee is associated with improved cardiovascular health. It further connects this to a longer life expectancy, in agreement with prior research. That was the focus of a different study that looked at 48,000 adults in the U.S. It showed that people who drink one to three cups of coffee a day had a 15% reduced chance of death over nine to eleven years.
Dr. Mahdavi noted that moderate consumption of coffee delivers these protective benefits. Good news—these effects are amplified when you combine coffee consumption with other healthy habits. She stated,
“Moderate coffee intake may offer some protective benefits when combined with other healthy behaviors.”
- Dr. Sara Mahdavi
This detailed, long-term research is some of the best evidence we’ve seen regarding the positive health effects of coffee consumption—especially in aging women. It’s a positive indication that moderate coffee drinking fits nicely into a healthy, balanced lifestyle while optimizing life expectancy and quality of life.