Why I drink coffee (and why you maybe should too)

For a health newsletter, I may talk about coffee a bit too much, in glowing terms at that. There is a reason: I have a bias in that coffee is just pretty important to me.

There are two important aspects of coffee that extend beyond its taste and the presence (or absence) of health benefits.

• Coffee is my ritual during a very important part of the day for me: the 30-60 minutes after I first get up, where I intentionally try to stay unproductive and relaxed. That is important. I will go to the mat for that ritual, not just because it improves quality of life, but also because it is healthy to invest my time that way.
• Coffee is a community-building activity. I recently read a great article making a case for alcohol consumption. The gist was that alcohol is a ritual in which people get to know each other (at a local bar, etc.), and has been an important social lubricant for thousands of years. Alcohol is not a big part of my life, but I get the point, and coffee is often my substitute for alcohol in that regard. Sometimes, I just drink with Marla, and sometimes, it is with other people. However, coffee is generally a communal experience.
  For these two reasons, I will unapologetically argue that coffee makes my life better. Perhaps I could switch to a healthier drink, but I haven’t found anything that works as well.

Now, that being said, a new study recently published makes a bold claim that coffee consumption is connected to healthy aging. In other words, from a health perspective, you can “have your coffee and drink it too.” 🙂

The study examined the relationship between coffee consumption and healthy aging in over 47,000 female nurses followed for several decades starting in the 1970s. The research found that women who consumed the most caffeine (equivalent to nearly seven cups of coffee daily) between the ages of 45-60 had 13% higher odds of healthy aging compared to those consuming the least (less than one cup daily).

The study defined “healthy aging” as women who were 70 or older in 2016, reported good physical and mental health with no cognitive impairment, and were free of 11 chronic diseases, including cancer, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Only about 3,700 women met these criteria.

Importantly, the benefits were specifically linked to caffeinated coffee. Drinking tea or decaffeinated coffee showed no association with healthy aging, possibly because participants consumed less of these beverages overall, or due to their different caffeine content and chemical compounds. Interestingly, cola consumption was associated with significantly decreased odds of healthy aging.

The findings align with extensive research linking coffee to health benefits. A recent study of over 46,000 U.S. adults found that consuming one to three cups daily reduced death risk by about 15% over nine to 11 years. However, this benefit disappeared when people added more than half a teaspoon of sugar or significant amounts of saturated fat to their coffee.

Previous research has also connected regular coffee consumption to lower risks of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, liver disease, osteoporosis, and certain cancers. While these observational studies cannot prove causation, the consistency of findings across multiple studies suggests genuine benefits.

Researchers aren’t entirely certain why coffee may be protective. Caffeine appears to improve memory and protect brain cells in animal studies, while both regular and decaf coffee contain hundreds of compounds that may reduce inflammation and prevent cell damage.

Here is my advice: if you don’t drink coffee now, don’t feel any compulsion to start in the hopes of improving your health. Focus on more proven health strategies like balanced nutrition, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and social engagement.

But, if you do drink coffee and it improves your life, including in the areas of mindfulness and engagement with other people, don’t feel guilty. Drink up!

Photo by Jakub Dziubak on Unsplash