Study shows drinking coffee helps women stay mentally sharp and physically strong as they age

Every day starts the same for many of us. Open your eyes, reach for coffee and sip. That warm first gulp seems to shift your brain into gear. But what if it also helps you stay sharp and strong as you age?

That’s what new research suggests. Scientists followed almost 50,000 women for 30 years. They found something unexpected. Women who drank regular coffee during midlife were more likely to age well – physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Drinking coffee linked to healthy aging

The study focused on women aged 45 to 60. Researchers measured their caffeine intake and followed their health over the next three decades.

The team wanted to know who would reach age 70 without serious disease, memory problems, depression, or physical decline.

By the end, 3,706 women met those goals. Most of them drank about 315 milligrams of caffeine per day. That’s roughly three small cups of coffee.

Tea, soda, and decaffeinated coffee didn’t show the same effect. But with each extra cup of regular coffee, chances of healthy aging rose by 2 to 5 percent. The benefit topped out around five small cups a day – or 2.5 modern-sized mugs.

“While past studies have linked coffee to individual health outcomes, our study is the first to assess coffee’s impact across multiple domains of aging over three decades,” said Dr. Sara Mahdavi, a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University.

Dr. Mahdavi is also an adjunct professor at University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Nutritional Sciences.

“The findings suggest that caffeinated coffee – not tea or decaf – may uniquely support aging trajectories that preserve both mental and physical function,” said Dr. Mahdav.

Not all coffee helps you age well

So, why coffee and not tea? Researchers aren’t sure yet. Coffee contains hundreds of compounds besides caffeine. Some of those might protect the brain, muscles, or metabolism. Or maybe it’s just the amount of caffeine people get from coffee.

But there’s a twist. Another study led by Dr. Mahdavi looked at how coffee affects the kidneys. This time, the answer depended on your genes.

In this second study, researchers tracked over 600 young adults in Italy. Everyone had early signs of high blood pressure. None were on medication. The scientists also looked at a gene called CYP1A2. This gene controls how fast your body breaks down caffeine.

Genes decide if coffee helps or harms

Some people break down caffeine quickly. They have the AA version of the CYP1A2 gene. Others process it slowly – they have the AC or CC versions. This second group makes up nearly half the population.

For slow metabolizers, coffee came with risks. Heavy coffee drinkers in this group – those drinking over three cups a day – had a much higher chance of developing kidney problems as they age.

Slow metabolizers were 2.7 times more likely to develop protein in their urine. Their risk of kidney hyperfiltration doubled. The chance of developing high blood pressure went up 2.8 times. Fast metabolizers? No extra risk. They seemed to tolerate coffee just fine, even at higher amounts.

“In the present cohort study, caffeinated coffee intake was associated with increases in the risks of albuminuria, hyperfiltration, and hypertension only among slow metabolizers of caffeine, suggesting that caffeine may play a role in the development of kidney disease in susceptible individuals,” said Dr. Mahdav.

Habits shape long-term health

According to the researchers, this does not mean you should quit coffee. The risks apply mainly to people who metabolize caffeine slowly and drink large amounts. For most people, two cups a day should be safe – and possibly helpful.

“These results, while preliminary, suggest that small, consistent habits can shape long-term health,” said Dr. Mahdavi. “Moderate coffee intake may offer some protective benefits when combined with other healthy behaviors such as regular exercise, a healthy diet and avoiding smoking.

“While this study adds to prior evidence suggesting coffee intake may be linked with healthy aging, the benefits from coffee are relatively modest compared to the impact of overall healthy lifestyle habits and warrant further investigation.”

So, coffee is not a magic drink. It helps a little. Healthy habits matter more. Still, it’s good news if you already enjoy your daily brew.

Building a personalized diet

Dr. Mahdavi will present her findings at NUTRITION 2025 in Orlando. Her team now plans to study how the chemicals in coffee interact with genes and aging pathways. The goal is to understand who benefits most and why.

In the future, your genes might help build a personalized diet. One that supports your brain, protects your kidneys, and keeps you moving as you age. Coffee might be part of that plan.

The next time you take that first sip of coffee in the morning, pause for a moment. That warm, familiar drink may be doing more than simply helping you shake off sleep or sharpen your focus for the day ahead.

Daily coffee might help you age better

According to growing research, especially if it is caffeinated coffee, your daily cup might be quietly contributing to a healthier, stronger version of yourself in the years to come.

But before you start seeing coffee as a miracle cure, take a step back. Coffee can support well-being, but it is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. If you want to age well – staying active, mentally sharp, and free from chronic illness – then coffee alone won’t carry you there.

You need to move your body regularly and need to eat meals that nourish, not just fill. You also need to understand how your body responds to substances like caffeine, because your genes play a role in how well coffee works for you – or whether it causes harm.

Healthy aging doesn’t come from a single habit, drink, or moment. It’s the result of years of daily decisions that seem small at the time. Over the decades, those small decisions build something powerful. Coffee can be one of them, but it is not the only one. Keep choosing well, one day at a time.

The blog is based on research presented at NUTRITION 2025 and a peer-reviewed study published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

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