Longevity Briefs: Drinking More Coffee May Increase Your Lifespan

Longevity briefs provides a short summary of novel research in biology, medicine, or biotechnology that caught the attention of our researchers in Oxford, due to its potential to improve our health, wellbeing, and longevity.

Why is this research important: On this site, we have covered many candidate lifespan-extension therapies that are currently under investigation. These therapies have the potential to greatly improve human health and longevity, but most of them are still years away from seeing widespread clinical application. That’s why we are also interested in research that we can take action on now in order to extend lifespan.

What did the researchers do: In 2018, academics, healthcare professionals and dietitians from across Europe met to discuss research into coffee and life expectancy. They put together a report summarising data from multiple studies and meta-analyses on the relationship between coffee consumption and longevity.

Key takeaway(s) from this research: Meta-analyses suggest that coffee consumption was associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality of up to 17% in men and 37% in women. Consuming larger quantities of coffee was associated with greater reductions in mortality. While there is good evidence that caffeine can improve life expectancy, caffeine alone is unlikely to fully explain the effects of coffee. It is thought that antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds within coffee (such as polyphenols) are likely to play a significant role.

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