Can coffee help you grow old gracefully?

We all want to live long, healthy lives, and coffee may help us do just that as new research suggests drinking coffee may reduce the risk of frailty as we age.

A new study¹ published in the European Journal of Nutrition has suggested that habitual coffee consumption of 4-6 cups and over* (with one cup measuring at 125ml) per day is associated with a reduced risk of frailty. (Moderate coffee consumption can be defined as 3–5 cups per day, based on the European Food Safety Authority’s review of caffeine safety.) The study, funded by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC) is the first to analyse the relationship between coffee consumption and the underlying components of frailty.

Coffee consumption has previously been linked to reducing the risk of some of the natural symptoms of aging, such as improving cognitive function² and mitigating against inflammatory related diseases³. This latest research adds to the growing knowledge base within this area, exploring the benefits of regular coffee consumption over an extended period of time.

For this study, researchers conducted a detailed analysis over a long seven-year follow-up period, surveying 1,161 adults aged 55+ years through the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA).

The relationship between coffee consumption and the presence and incidence of frailty was investigated. Frailty status was evaluated using Fried’s five-component frailty phenotype⁴, which is defined by the presence of three or more of the following symptoms: weight loss, weakness, exhaustion, slow gait (walking) speed, and low physical activity.

The results of this study indicate that higher habitual coffee consumption is associated with lower overall odds of frailty. These findings can be considered alongside the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) scientific opinion that up to 400mg of caffeine (3-5 cups of coffee) per day is a moderate and safe amount⁵. According to the researchers, coffee’s effect on reducing frailty can partly be attributed to the role of antioxidants in coffee, which may help to reduce inflammation, sarcopenia (muscle loss), and prevention of muscle damage. Coffee may also help to improve regulating insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake in older people.

“Drinking coffee is a key part of many people’s daily routine, and as people age, they are constantly looking for ways to maintain their health,” said the study’s lead author, Margreet R. Olthof, associate professor at the Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. “Our findings highlight the possible beneficial association between daily coffee consumption and reduced risk of frailty in later life in the older population. Coffee consumption may thus enhance healthy aging, but it is important we also explore further dietary interventions, to ensure older adults can continue to live fulfilling lives.”

Those interested in finding out more about coffee and health can visit: https://www.coffeeandhealth.org/. Furthermore, the National Coffee Association of the USA (NCA) has also long been a proponent of coffee as a healthy beverage, and continues to promote its many health benefits: https://www.aboutcoffee.org/health/health-benefits-of-coffee/.

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal, [email protected]

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References

1. van der Linden, M., Wijnhoven, H.A., Schaap, L.A. et al. Habitual coffee consumption and risk of frailty in later life: the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA). Eur J Nutr 64, 164 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-025-03683-0
2. Coffee & Science, Neurodegenerative Disorders: Caffeine and cognitive performance. Available online: https://www.coffeeandhealth.org/health/health-conditions/neurodegenerative-disorders/caffeine-and-cognitive-performance
3. Coffee & Science, Type 2 Diabetes: Overview. Available online: https://www.coffeeandhealth.org/health/health-conditions/type-2-diabetes/overview
4. Fried LP, Tangen CM, Walston J, et al (2001) Frailty in Older Adults: Evidence for a Phenotype. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 56:M146–M157. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/56.3.M146
5. EFSA (2015). Scientific Opinion on the Safety of Caffeine, EFSA Journal, 13(5):4102. https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4102