Ancient Greek historian Herodotus believed the fountain of youth was in Africa. Fourteenth-century traveler Sir John Mandeville thought it was in India. And rumor has it that 16th-century Spanish conquistador Ponce de León felt strongly that the fountain of youth was in Florida. It turns out, they may have all been wrong. The fountain of youth might actually just be at the bottom of your coffee cup.
New research suggests that drinking coffee daily may help slow biological aging. A study published in BMJ Mental Health found that drinking three to four cups of coffee per day was associated with longer telomere lengths—so much so that they closely resembled those of someone up to five years younger. In short: Drinking coffee may help reduce your biological age by as much as five years.
Telomeres are protective stretches of DNA at the ends of our chromosomes. Each time our cells replicate, these telomeres become slightly shorter. Some research suggests this shortening may contribute to the aging process, though scientists are still working to understand the role telomeres play in longevity fully. However, studies do indicate that shorter telomeres are associated with a higher risk of disease.
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Why does coffee reduce biological age?
The research analyzed data from more than 430 people with severe mental health conditions, a group that tends to have shorter telomeres on average. Among them, those who drank three to four cups of coffee per day had longer telomeres than those who didn’t. Drinking five or more cups, however, did not appear to provide additional benefits.
Scientists are still working to understand exactly why coffee may have this effect, but they have a few theories.
“They either have direct antioxidant effects or can stimulate our cells to improve their own antioxidant defenses,” Tommy Wood, PhD, told Women’s Health. “By decreasing oxidative stress, we might see less damage to DNA and other parts of the cell that would otherwise result in shortening of telomere lengths and accelerated ageing.”
Eva De Angelis, RD, agrees that coffee is packed with benefits.
She told VegNews: “Although the more well-researched compound in coffee is caffeine, coffee has other beneficial bioactive compounds, like polyphenols, diterpenes, and trigonelline, that have antioxidant properties.”
The impressive benefits of coffee
This isn’t the first study to link coffee with significant health benefits. In 2022, research from the American College of Cardiology suggested that drinking two to three cups of coffee per day could reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke by up to 15 percent.
Another study, published in the journal Nutrition Reviews, found that one or two cups of decaffeinated coffee per day may help protect against type 2 diabetes.
Additional research suggests that coffee consumption may reduce the risk of dementia, lower the risk of liver disease, and even decrease the likelihood of depression.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
