Six Ways Drinking Coffee Can Help You Live Longer

Moderate coffee consumption, about 3 to 5 cups a day, is associated with a variety of health benefits. By reducing the risk of various conditions and promoting longevity, moderate coffee drinking can help you live longer.

1. Increases Overall Longevity

Drinking coffee can help you age in a healthy manner by preventing or reducing the risk of diseases associated with aging, like cardiovascular disease and dementia. Caffeine and other compounds in coffee have positive anti-aging effects on the entire body.

These compounds can stop the production of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1 which is involved in the aging process and related to many age-related diseases.

Coffee can also help you live longer in general. A study that looked at life expectancy of adults in the United States who consumed coffee versus those who didn’t found that people who drank 1 to 2 cups of coffee a day lived two years longer on average. 

2. Reduces Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Drinking coffee, both caffeinated and decaffeinated, is associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a condition that can shorten your life.

Beneficial plant compounds (phytochemicals) found in coffee may help protect or support the functions of the liver and pancreas, two organs that influence insulin sensitivity.

Insulin sensitivity is an important marker in the development of diabetes. Insulin is a hormone that allows cells to take in glucose from the blood to use for energy production.

When the body becomes less sensitive to insulin insulin resistance develops, leading to high blood sugar levels and type 2 diabetes. By supporting the organs involved in the insulin process, coffee can help lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

3. Lowers Rates of Some Types of Cancer

Coffee contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that may lower the risk of developing certain cancers. Drinking coffee has been associated with a lower risk of liver cancer in the general population. For women with a body mass index higher than 25 (classified as overweight), consuming more coffee decreased the risk of endometrial cancer.

While studies are still being conducted on coffee and cancer, postmenopausal people who consumed a moderate amount of coffee daily had lower rates of developing liver and breast cancer.

4. Reduces Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease is a common condition that occurs with aging and can significantly affect longevity, decreasing lifespan.

While caffeine can temporarily increase blood pressure and dilate the blood vessels, in moderation, coffee has a positive effect on heart health. Drinking coffee in moderation is associated with a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

People who consume coffee on a regular basis have been shown to have a decreased risk of high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation (an abnormal heart rhythm), and heart failure—all indicators of cardiovascular disease.

Though evidence is in favor of coffee for heart health, drink with some caution, as consuming too much coffee, more than five cups a day, may lead to negative effects on heart health.

5. Supports Liver Health

Coffee can help protect the liver, the body’s filtering organ. A healthy liver supports a healthy body and longevity.

The antioxidant compounds found in coffee have beneficial effects on the cells of the liver and may help prevent liver cancer, slow the advancement of liver diseases like cirrhosis, and may even reduce the replication ability of the hepatitis C virus, a virus that can cause liver damage.

Drinking coffee is also associated with lower liver enzyme levels. These levels are markers of liver damage in diseases such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

6. Protects the Brain

As the control center for the body’s functions, the brain plays an important role in aging. A healthy brain helps the body as it ages.

Coffee can support brain health in these ways:

• Polyphenols and other antioxidants in coffee have a positive effect on brain health.
• Caffeine can help with memory, alertness, and cognition, and has also been found to be involved in neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to reorganize and form new pathways even as it ages.
• The neuroprotective compounds in coffee are also being studied for their ability to lower the risk of developing neurodegenerative conditions like dementia, Altzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.  
• Other components of coffee, such as the polyphenol caffeic acid, which is not the same as caffeine, have been shown to increase learning and boost cognitive function while also reducing stress and inflammation in the brain.