A 32-year-long study has found that women who regularly drink coffee tend to age in better health.
However, researchers did not find the same link with tea or decaffeinated coffee, and noted that consuming other caffeinated drinks such as fizzy soft drinks offered no health benefits.
“While past studies have linked coffee to individual health outcomes, our study is the first to assess coffee’s impact across multiple domains of ageing over three decades,” said Dr Sara Mahdavi, a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University.
“The findings suggest that caffeinated coffee, not tea or decaf, may uniquely support ageing trajectories that preserve both mental and physical function,” she added.
The study tracked the health and dietary habits of more than 47,000 women who took part in the research, which began in 1984. Participants completed questionnaires every four years, reporting how often they consumed caffeinated drinks.
One of the findings showed that each additional daily cup of coffee increased the likelihood of ageing in good health by 2 to 5%.
