A compelling new study from the long-running Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) suggests that regular coffee consumption may play a modest but meaningful role in promoting healthy aging in women. Over the course of three decades, researchers followed 47,513 women and found that higher caffeine intake—especially from regular coffee—was associated with increased odds of aging healthfully.
Key Findings:
- Healthy aging was defined as living to at least age 70 without major chronic illnesses, physical limitations, cognitive decline, or mental health issues.
- By 2016, 3,706 participants met the criteria for healthy aging.
- Median caffeine intake at baseline was 315 mg/day, with more than 80% of that coming from regular coffee.
- For every additional cup of coffee consumed daily, the likelihood of healthy aging rose by about 5%.
- Coffee consumption showed consistent benefits across all domains of health assessed.
- No significant health benefits were linked to tea or decaffeinated coffee.
- Conversely, higher cola consumption correlated with a 19–26% drop in the odds of healthy aging.
These findings, presented at the 2025 NUTRITION conference hosted by the American Society for Nutrition, highlight a potential long-term benefit of moderate coffee intake during midlife. While the effects were modest, they underscore coffee’s role as a potentially valuable dietary component for women aiming to maintain health well into older age—though the same cannot be said for cola, which appeared to have a negative impact.
