A growing body of research advocates the benefits of moderate coffee drinking. Photo / Getty Images
A new long-term study has found a link between coffee consumption and a reduced risk of frailty in older adults.
It’s no great surprise to any of us that with ageing comes the unavoidable deterioration of our bodies. As the years notch up, we tend to lose muscle mass, vital organs decline, we become slower, weaker and less mentally focused. So it’s inevitable that the stairs seem steeper, the shopping feels heavier, our breath is more sluggish, and a favourite glass and the top shelf of the cupboard becomes frustratingly out of reach. Then there’s the thing we fear more than anything: becoming “frail”.
Professor Tahir Masud, clinical advisor to the UK’s Royal Osteoporosis Society and a consultant physician at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, adds: “Healthcare professionals often refer to frailty as a “lack of physiological reserve”. It can lead to older people being at a higher risk of falls, reduced mobility, and being unable to look after themselves without help. In people suffering from osteoporosis and fragility fractures, frailty can increase the risk of broken bones by increasing the risk of falls. It can also escalate the possibility of hospitalisation and the need for residential or nursing homes, as well as an earlier death.”
But there is some good news: drinking coffee could be the key to staying strong as you age. A recent study published in the European Journal of Nutrition claims that regularly drinking four to six cups of coffee a day has been linked with a reduced risk of frailty. And because, for many of us, coffee is craved and revered, it could now mean we can enjoy those daily cups of Costa Rica’s finest, while feeling reassured it is supporting our health.
The research surveyed 1161 adults aged 55-plus over seven years through the Longitudinal Ageing Study Amsterdam (LASA). It’s the first of its kind to look at the relationship between coffee consumption and its effect on frailty.
The physical health of each of the participants was evaluated using a model called Fried’s five-component frailty phenotype (developed by Dr Linda Fried in 2001), which focuses on certain frailty traits: unintentional weight loss, weakness, exhaustion, slow walking speed and low physical activity.
“The results from the research support the idea that moderate to high habitual coffee consumption leads to improvement in these areas and so may reduce the risk of frailty in older adults,” says Bini Suresh, British Dietetic Association spokesperson and lead dietitian at Cleveland Clinic London. There are some caveats, Suresh notes.
“While a seven-year study lends credibility, there are a few important limitations and caveats to consider. The study is observational, so we can’t confirm cause and effect – the people who drink more coffee might engage in other health-promoting behaviours. But it does add weight to the growing evidence base linking certain dietary patterns and specific foods with functional health outcomes, particularly in the ageing.”
There is growing research that advocates the benefits of moderate coffee drinking. Its unique components each play a role in making it a positive addition to your diet as you age. The caffeine content acts as an “adenosine receptor antagonist”, which, in layman’s terms, means it helps reduce fatigue and enhance alertness.
Caffeine can also improve muscle movement, thus supporting mobility and reducing weakness. The polyphenols (natural plant compounds) in coffee have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which ward off age-related muscle loss, swelling, and support overall function. A lesser-known compound in coffee, trigonelline, may sustain cognitive health and improve memory.
Despite the latest study citing six cups, experts are keen to make sure we don’t go overboard. Dell Stanford, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, says: “Consuming two or three cups of coffee a day may be linked to lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to drinking no coffee. However, drinking more than four or five cups of coffee per day will probably raise your caffeine intake to above the recommended daily maximum of 400mg (four to five cups). Generally, the effects of too much caffeine may include temporarily increased blood pressure and heart rate, palpitations, anxiety, agitation, nausea, headache and sleep disturbance.”
Bini Suresh thinks not. “Coffee complements, it shouldn’t replace exercise,” he says. “Regular physical activity will directly improve strength, endurance and the body’s ability to function well. While the caffeine in coffee might give you a performance boost and delay fatigue, it’s there as a support tool. I’d always advise regular movement and a healthy, balanced diet that includes antioxidant-rich foods, like coffee.”
Antioxidants like polyphenols help to protect cells from damage. Nichola Ludlam-Raine, dietitian and author of How Not to Eat Ultra-Processed, says: “Yes, coffee is a major source of polyphenols, but similar compounds are found in berries, dark chocolate, olive oil, green tea, and many vegetables. Once consumed, they’re absorbed in the gut (though bioavailability varies), metabolised mainly in the liver, and act throughout the body. Protein-rich foods (like eggs, dairy, legumes, tofu, fish and lean meat) are important for muscle preservation, in addition to foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (like oily fish, flaxseed and walnuts), and those containing vitamin D and calcium are also key (think eggs and dairy) for bone strength.
“Fermented foods are also important for gut health (which supports immunity), and colourful fruits and veg for their antioxidant content, which all contribute to preventing frailty.”
Not everyone’s tolerance to coffee is the same, but generally, an overload of caffeine can have health repercussions. “Caffeine can interfere with calcium absorption – so older adults should balance intake with good sources of calcium and vitamin D elsewhere in their daily diet,” says Ludlam-Raine. “There could be [other] potential issues, including disturbed sleep, especially if consumed after midday (caffeine blocks adenosine, the chemical that promotes sleepiness). You could also experience increased heart rate, anxiety and raised blood pressure. Anyone who struggles with acid reflux or IBS might find too much coffee causes digestive problems.”
In the UK, around 95 million cups of coffee are consumed per day. And although they come in a smorgasbord of flavours, add-ons and sizes, the general thinking is that a straight, black, filtered coffee (ones that have been through a paper or metal filter like an Aeropress or filter coffee machine) is the healthiest. Adding a splash of milk to your brew will provide certain essential vitamins, protein and calcium, but if you get into cappuccino and latte territory, you will also be totting up the calories.
Choosing a high-quality bean will mean it’s rich in cell-protecting polyphenols, while an organic product won’t have been subjected to pesticides and other contaminants. Medium-roast coffee provides a balance of antioxidants (dark roast can pose a potential acrylamide risk – a chemical which forms when foods are cooked at high temperature and is carcinogenic). And, although processed, decaf coffee isn’t necessarily bad – it still contains all the benefits, just perhaps at slightly lower levels.
If instant is your go-to, it might be worth swapping for a “proper” coffee. “Instant coffee tends to contain less caffeine, [and is] therefore unlikely to have an impact on bone health,” Suresh explains.
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