coffee-adds-nearly-2-years-to-healthy-lifespan-study

Consuming coffee may contribute to nearly two additional years of healthy living, as indicated by a recent study that analysed existing research.

 

The research, which appeared in the journal Ageing Research Reviews, revealed that the advantages of coffee consumption "translate to an average enhancement in health span of 1.8 years." Researchers from Portugal proposed that with the ageing global population, consistent and moderate coffee intake could be vital for promoting a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

 

"We know that the world's population is ageing 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," said Rodrigo Cunha, from the University of Coimbra in Portugal and lead author of the study.

 

Research has indicated that coffee may decrease mortality from numerous factors, such as decreasing the likelihood of heart-related issues, cognitive deterioration, and long-term illnesses, among others.

 

Coffee is made up of more than 2,000 potentially bioactive compounds, some of which provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory advantages, diminish neuroinflammation, and help control insulin sensitivity.

 

"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,” Cunha explained.

 

Additionally, the research team pointed out that evidence indicates nutritional "anti-ageing" strategies may exhibit a gender preference, benefiting either men or women. Nonetheless, the advantages of coffee related to ageing were observed in both genders. 

 

The researchers concentrated on investigations that explore how coffee influences biological mechanisms linked to ageing, such as genomic instability and cellular mutations. 

 

Although older individuals have typically been advised to lessen or avoid coffee consumption, the researchers recommended that medical guidelines should be reassessed considering the strong scientific proof advocating for coffee's contribution to healthy ageing.

 

"Traditional clinical recommendations have at times overlooked coffee’s role in healthy ageing, 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,” Cunha said.

 

The specific ways in which coffee and its constituents promote a longer, healthy life are still not fully understood, and upcoming studies could investigate this in greater depth, the researchers determined.