Pour Another Cup: Updates About Coffee And Healthy Aging

As we’ve previously noted, research remains robust on the health benefits of coffee and caffeinated beverages. Given our national obsession with consuming coffee and the growing popularity of all sorts of tea drinks, it’s no wonder that researchers continue to uncover all of the ways that drinking coffee or tea can support health and well-being, especially as we get older. Already this year, we’ve cited research that shows an association between caffeinated coffee and tea and a lowering of the risk of dementia. We’ve also highlighted recent research that examined the connection between tea and coffee consumption and bone mineral density in women over 50, ⅓ of whom will be diagnosed with osteoporosis during their lifetime. For a good review of what we currently know about the positive health benefits of drinking that cup (or cups) of coffee each day, grab your bean grinder and look here.

Some additional studies about coffee and health have appeared recently, which underscore the health benefits, not only because of its caffeine content but also due to other complex chemical compounds in coffee that have their own health properties. First comes a study published in BMJ Mental Health that links coffee consumption to slower biological aging. In this study of 436 people with severe mental health conditions, those participants who drank 3-4 cups of coffee/day (considered moderate coffee consumption) were found to have longer telomeres, comparable to people 5 years biologically younger. While the study didn’t prove that coffee caused the slowdown of biological aging, it does add to the mounting evidence that moderate coffee consumption supports healthier aging. It is hypothesized that the polyphenol compounds in coffee have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on those who consume it. 

Another recent study, this one published in Nutrients, found anti-aging properties in coffee. In this study, from Texas A & M University, researchers examined the connection between chemical compounds in coffee and a specific protein (NR4A1) that sits inside your cells and protects you from the damage stress does to your tissues. It appears that NR4A1 declines with age, but that the polyphenols in coffee may activate this protein in a way not previously recognized. While the exact biological connection is not clear, it could be that this is why coffee has beneficial effects on your health and well-being. Research has demonstrated that NR4A1 may be implicated in a broad range of age-related conditions, including cancer, inflammation, and neurodegeneration. So this research advances an exciting proposition that coffee may be a potent tool for fighting age-related factors associated with chronic diseases and conditions.

One further study focuses on the gut-brain axis and the impact that coffee may have on the gut microbiome and its connection to the brain. According to this research, published in Nature Communications, regular moderate coffee consumption (with or without caffeine) appears to affect the gut microbiome, which in turn has a potentially positive impact on mood. Again, this appears connected to the antioxidants found in coffee rather than the caffeine. The gut-brain axis, which is a 2 way communication path between the gut microbiome and the brain, seems to be sensitive to the chemical compounds found in coffee, resulting in changes in how people think and respond emotionally. To learn more about this potentially important gut-brain connection and how coffee may further enhance its benefits, set out your cup and saucer and find out more here. 

One final thought on the connection between coffee and aging. If you’re one of those coffee consumers who dumps a non-dairy creamer into every cup, you may be surprised to learn of the damage you are doing to your skin. So skip the creamer, pour in some unsweetened oat milk, and look here for more details.