Can Coffee Slow Aging? Harvard Study Finds Link To Healthy Aging In Women

Can Coffee Slow Aging? Harvard Study Finds Link To Healthy Aging In Women

Key highlights or summary

  • A study on coffee benefits for women’s health found that moderate coffee intake (1–3 cups/day) is linked to a greater chance of reaching age 70+ in good physical, mental, and cognitive health.
  • Regular moderate coffee consumption is linked to lower risks of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, liver disease, depression, and even some cancers.
  • The safe coffee intake per day for most women is three to five cups of coffee a day, with a maximum intake of 400 milligrams of caffeine.
  • To get the health benefits of coffee for women, avoid sugar, cream, and flavourings while drinking.
  • Coffee’s benefits are strongest when combined with healthy habits like exercise, a balanced diet, and avoiding smoking. Coffee alone isn’t a magic fix.

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  1. Your coffee habit could be linked to healthier aging, study finds
  2. Coffee: biochemistry and potential impact on health
  3. Coffee or Tea? A prospective cohort study on the associations of coffee and tea intake with overall and cause-specific mortality in men versus women
  4. Coffee consumption and health: umbrella review of meta-analyses of multiple health outcomes
  5. Systematic review with meta‐analysis: coffee consumption and the risk of cirrhosis
  6. Coffee, including caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis
  7. Brewed for longevity: Drinking coffee linked with healthy aging in women
  8. Coffee Consumption and Mortality among United States Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study
  9. Drinking coffee linked to healthier hearts and longer lives.
  10. Drinking Coffee Linked to Healthy Aging in Middle-Aged Women
  11. Coffee- harvard.edu/food-features
  12. The Safety of Ingested Caffeine: A Comprehensive Review
  13. How might your daily coffee influence aging?
  14. Changes in Coffee Intake, Added Sugar, and Long-Term Weight Gain - Results from Three Large Prospective US Cohort Studies
  15. 9 Reasons Why (the Right Amount of) Coffee Is Good for You
  16. Skin photoprotection and consumption of coffee and polyphenols in healthy middle-aged Japanese females
  17. Health Benefits of Coffee
  18. Health Benefits of Black Coffee
  19. Moderate Caffeine Consumption During Pregnancy
  20. Coffee and caffeine consumption and depression: A meta-analysis of observational studies
  21. The association between coffee consumption and risk of incident depression and anxiety: Exploring the benefits of moderate intake
  22. Impact of coffee intake on human aging: Epidemiology and cellular mechanisms 

Frequently asked questions

Get the information you need.

Yes, research suggests coffee intake might help:

  • A 2015 meta-analysis found that people who drank more coffee had a lower risk of depression.
  • A 2023 study showed that drinking 2 to 3 cups of unsweetened coffee daily may help lower the risk of both depression and anxiety.
  • The caffeine and antioxidants in coffee are believed to have mood-boosting effects, though more research is still needed

Yes, it does! While not a major source, black coffee provides small amounts of essential nutrients like:

  • Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
  • Vitamin B3 (niacin)
  • Potassium
  • Magnesium

Coffee also contains plant compounds, which have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging properties.

No. Many popular coffee drinks, especially those with whipped cream, flavoured syrups, and heavy cream, are packed with empty calories, added sugars, and unhealthy fats. These “coffee-flavoured milkshakes” can outweigh the health benefits of coffee for women. To keep it healthy, stick to black coffee or add a splash of low-fat milk or unsweetened plant-based alternatives.

Caffeine isn’t safe for everyone, especially children under 12. You should talk to your doctor about safe caffeine intake if you:

  • Are pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Take anti-anxiety medications
  • Have heart disease or high blood pressure

Even moderate caffeine can cause unwanted side effects or interact with medications.

Yes, it might! Studies show that regular coffee consumption is linked to a 17% lower risk of death from major illnesses like heart disease, stroke, cancer, and respiratory issues. It may also help protect against memory loss, depression, and frailty as you age, potentially adding up to 1.8 more years of good health to your life.