Study links moderate daily coffee intake to slower cellular aging - Video

Could your daily coffee habit actually slow down aging in the brain? How many cups a day is good for health? Is it 1?2?3? Well, A new study published in BMJ Mental Health found that moderate coffee drinkers with severe mental disorders like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder had longer telomeres-caps on chromosomes that signal biological youth-making them seem about five years younger at the cellular level than non-drinkers.

Telomeres shorten naturally with age but accelerate in people with severe mental disorders (SMD), contributing to early heart disease, cancer, and shorter lifespans. Coffee's antioxidants may fight inflammation and oxidative stress, protecting telomeres, though effects vary by intake level. Coffee offers numerous health benefits when consumed moderately (3-4 cups daily). It boosts energy and mood by blocking fatigue-causing adenosine, lowers type 2 diabetes risk by 6% per cup via better insulin function, and protects against Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, stroke, and certain cancers like liver and endometrial.

Researchers studied 436 Norwegian adults (aged 18-65) with schizophrenia spectrum or affective disorders from psychiatric units. Excluding those with brain-affecting conditions, clinicians diagnosed via interviews and recorded medications. Participants self-reported coffee as none, 1-2 cups, 3-4 cups, or 5+ cups daily, plus smoking history. Telomere length came from blood leukocyte tests, converted to "years of accelerated aging."

Moderate drinkers shone: an inverted J-shaped link emerged, peaking at 3-4 cups/day—the strongest benefit vs. non-drinkers (statistically significant). This group had telomeres equating to five years less aging. Those drinking 1-4 cups overall looked biologically younger than abstainers. No sex or diagnosis differences appeared, but 5+ cups lost the edge.

Coffee up to four cups may shield telomeres via anti-inflammatory effects, vital for SMD's fast aging. Limitations include self-reports, no coffee type/caffeine details, and cross-sectional design barring causation claims.

This suggests measured coffee as a simple lifestyle tweak for mental health patients, but more research needs confirmation across populations.

REFERENCE: Mlakar, V., Di Forti, M., Halff, E.F., Srivastava, D.P., Akkouh, I., Djurovic, S., Martin-Ruiz, C., Quintana, D.S., Birkenæs, V., Steen, N.E., Ormerod, M.B.E.G., Andreassen, O.A., Aas, M. (2025). Coffee intake is associated with telomere length in severe mental disorders. BMJ Mental Health 28(1): e301700. DOI: 10.1136/bmjment-2025-301700. https://mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/28/1/e301700