Coffee is not only one of the most popular beverages worldwide, but it is also undoubtedly one of the most enjoyable and healthiest beverages you will ever encounter. But then, this is not all. The drink has also built a reputation for its nutritional and medicinal value, which can benefit anyone who takes it. But, coffee and longevity – what is the connection?
Coffee comes with dozens of compounds that offer essential health benefits to our body when we take it. One of such benefits includes its value for improving our life quality and offering us the chance to live even longer on earth.
Various nutritional studies have reported that the chances of early death are often noticeably reduced amongst people who consume moderate amounts of coffee. Perhaps you are already wondering if this means drinking a lot of coffee will give you access to a longer life.
Well, this article will answer your questions by studying the link between coffee and longevity. So, please ensure to read to the end as we explore the topic.
What does Science Say About Coffee and Longevity?
Suppose you are wondering what science is saying about coffee and longevity. In that case, you should know that observatory science favors the sentiment that people who drink coffee are likelier to live longer than those who don’t.
According to a 2012 coffee consumption study on 402,260 people who fall between the age of 50 to 71, it was observed that the people who drank the highest coffee portions had significantly reduced chances of dying within the 12-13-year study period.
People who took 4-5 cups of coffee daily had between 12 to 16% reduced risk of early death. However, no significant additional benefit was noticed in people who take more than six coffee cups daily. It was also discovered that even people who take moderate amounts of coffee, between one to two cups, daily had a somewhat lowered risk of early death, between 5 to 6%. This shows that even moderate beverage consumption can have a noticeable impact on your lifespan.
Moreover, researchers found that coffee drinkers had fewer chances of dying from specific causes like injuries, infections, diabetes, respiratory disease, stroke, and heart diseases. This study has also been heavily supported by many recent studies that find coffee intake almost consistently linked to lower chances of early death.
What does Science Say About the Link between Coffee and Heart Diseases?
A recent study on the link between coffee and longevity by CNN Health in 2022 has further proven that coffee intake does not cause or worsen heart problems, contrary to many people’s fear. Instead, it may contribute to protecting you against heart diseases. The study also suggests that daily intake of between two to three cups of coffee can lower the chances of heart failure, diseases, or a heart rhythm problem by 10 to 15%.
Coffee intake has also been linked with lower chances of Alzheimer’s, depression, type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s’, and liver disease in humans.
Coffee as a Major Source of Antioxidants
Perhaps, one of the reasons why coffee has so many health and medicinal values is because it is a rich source of antioxidants. While running through coffee grounds in the brewing process, hot water often mixes with some chemical compounds in the coffee beans to form part of the finished beverage. These compounds are mostly antioxidants that protect the body against oxidative stress.
Indeed, oxidation has been proven to be one of the active mechanisms in the human body that lead to aging and other health conditions like heart disease and cancer. Luckily, studies have shown that coffee is a very active antioxidant source that can help to fight these things in your body.
Today, coffee is touted as the highest source of antioxidants in most Western diets, offering more than fruits and vegetables combined. This does not necessarily imply that coffee has a richer antioxidant value than all vegetables and fruits. Instead, it points to the fact that coffee intake has become so common in most Western countries today that it now contributes the most to people’s average antioxidant intake in such countries.
So, even if you do not eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, coffee can still supply your body with sufficient amounts of antioxidants you need to get by daily.
Coffee for Youthful Skin
It has been established that moderate coffee intake can help to reduce your chances of dying young and help you live longer. But then, there are many other fantastic benefits your body stands to get from this fantastic beverage drink. For instance, moderate coffee intake has also been reported to help rejuvenate your skin and make you look youthful, even as you grow older. But then, is this true? Let’s quickly find out.
The quickest answer to whether coffee helps slow the aging process and make people look younger is yes. While the coffee beverage might not be effective in making people appear younger, it contains caffeine which has been proven to be an anti-inflammatory. Of course, you should know that inflammation is one of the things that will cause your skin to look wrinkled and old as you age. So, we can say that caffeine helps reduce aging effects on your skin by fighting inflammation.
Caffeine has also proven to be an excellent ingredient for skincare products with many benefits for the skin. For instance, it can help to reduce toxic UV damage, among others. It can also be practical for treating some skin irritations and reducing skin swelling.
Conclusion
There have been many talks about the value of coffee and longevity and its connection over the years, with many people arguing for and against the notion.
Thankfully, this article has discussed in-depth on the topic to help you understand it better.
