Latest news with #DrSaraMahdavi
The Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Women who drink up to three cups of coffee a day in their 50s may be healthier in old age, scientists say
A new study has found that women in middle age who maintain a healthy coffee habit may have better physical, mental, and cognitive health as they grow older. 'Women who drank one to three cups of caffeinated coffee per day in their 50s were more likely to reach older age free from major chronic diseases and with good cognitive, physical, and mental health,' the study's lead author, Dr Sara Mahdavi, adjunct professor in the the faculty of medicine and department of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto said. The research was initially presented as an abstract at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition on Monday, but will be submitted for peer review in the coming months, according to Mahdavi. The study draws on dietary data from more than 47,000 women who participated in the Nurses' Health Study. All of the women surveyed were in middle age and had been followed for 30 years to understand their rates of death and disease. 'In this study, we found that moderate caffeinated coffee consumption during midlife was associated with a higher likelihood of healthy aging 30 years later,' Mahdavi said. But it's not just the caffeine or just the coffee that's giving the health benefits. Tea and cola, both of which have caffeine, did not yield the same signs as drinking coffee, nor did drinking decaffeinated coffee. The study is primarily observational and cannot state definitive cause and effect relationships. It is simply pointing out that women who maintained a healthy use of coffee in middle age also tended to experience a healthier aging. Researchers note that coffee drinking may just be a habit of individuals who tend to lead otherwise healthy and active lifestyles, which also contribute to healthier aging. In the past, moderate coffee drinking has been linked to lower risks of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Despite the findings, Mahdavi wasn't ready to call for non-coffee drinkers to pick up a press and a mug. 'Coffee may support longevity, but it's not a universal prescription — especially for women. Hormonal shifts influence how caffeine is metabolized, so the benefits depend on timing, biology, and individual health," Mahdavis told CNN. Caffeine can last longer in the bodies of some people due to hormonal differences — for example, estrogen inhibits a liver enzyme that is needed to break caffeine down — and midlife tends to be a time when women's hormones are shifting. 'Moderate caffeinated coffee consumption — typically one to three cups per day — can be part of a healthy diet for many adults,' Mahdavi said. 'However, this should not be taken as a blanket recommendation for everyone to begin or increase coffee intake with the goal of longevity.' And coffee — or other caffeinated drinks — are best avoided by individuals with other health problems, like anxiety or sleep disorders, according to the National Institute of Health.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Secret to aging 'healthily': Trick to boost longevity and reduce chronic disease revealed
A morning cup of java could be doing more than help women wake up in the morning - because it could also aid with aging. Research from Harvard University has found a connection between drinking coffee and healthy aging in women, with the findings presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition in Orlando on Monday. The in-depth analysis found that middle-aged women who drank caffeinated coffee aged 'healthily' - which was defined as living to age 70 or older, being free from 11 major chronic diseases, maintaining physical function, having good mental health, exhibiting no cognitive impairment and showing no memory complaints. However, the researchers didn't find any links between tea or decaf coffee and aging better. On the other hand, drinking more cola was linked with lowering the chance of healthy aging. 'While past studies have linked coffee to individual health outcomes, our study is the first to assess coffee's impact across multiple domains of aging over three decades,' Dr. Sara Mahdavi, a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, said. 'The findings suggest that caffeinated coffee, not tea or decaf, may uniquely support aging trajectories that preserve both mental and physical function.' Researchers started collecting data from women who were part of the Nurses' Health Study in 1984, tracking almost 48,000 participants aged between 45 and 60. All participants filled out surveys providing details about their diet and health across a span of 30 years with all data being recorded and analyzed. The researchers assessed caffeine intake using validated food frequency questionnaires which included drinking popular forms of caffeine, including coffee, tea, cola and decaffeinated coffee. Preliminary analyses accounted for other factors that might influence healthy aging, such as body weight, smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, education level and protein in the diet. 'Our study has several key strengths,' Dr. Mahdavi explained. 'In addition to the large sample size and 30 years of follow-up, we assessed several different aspects of longevity and healthy aging as well as very comprehensive information on nutritional and lifestyle habits that were collected every four years after the initiation of the study,' she added. The researchers found that those deemed 'healthy agers' typically consumed an average of 315mg of caffeine per day, which in today's standards is the equivalent to three small cups of coffee or one and a half large cups. 'More than 80 percent of that caffeine came from regular coffee consumption,' the press release noted. It continued: 'For women in the healthy agers group, each extra cup of coffee per day was tied to a two percent to five percent higher chance of doing well later in life.' However, it noted that although soda also contains caffeine, participants who people drank it daily had a 20 percent to 26 percent lower likelihood of healthy aging, showing that not all types of caffeine are beneficial. The study also noted that drinking up to two cups a day may offer additional benefits for some but may not be healthy for others. There are some limitations to the study, with Dr. Mahdavi pointing out that the participants were mainly white, educated, female, health professionals. 'Further work is needed to confirm generalizability to broader populations,' she told Fox News Digital. While she doesn't recommend starting to drink coffee if it's not already a part of your diet, she says it can contribute to a balanced diet for those who drink it. 'For people who already consume moderate amounts — typically two to four cups per day — this study adds to the evidence that coffee can be part of a healthy lifestyle,' the expert explained. A study published earlier in the year found that drinking between one and several cups of coffee before midday was found to cut the risk of heart and circulatory diseases by a whopping 31 percent, in comparison with those who drink it throughout the day. Research suggests the time you enjoy an espresso or flat white is more important to your health than how much you drink. In the first study to examine the time it is consumed, researchers used data from more than 40,000 US adults taking part in studies examining health, nutrition and lifestyle over a decade. They found distinct patterns of coffee drinking, with 36 percent enjoying it before midday, 16 percent consuming coffee throughout the day and half not drinking it at all.
Sky News
3 days ago
- Health
- Sky News
Coffee helps women age more healthily, 30-year study suggests
For many a cup of coffee or two is necessary to get through the morning, but research suggests the caffeinated beverage could also help women age more healthily. A study which followed almost 50,000 women over a 32-year period found those who drank caffeinated coffee in midlife were more likely to stay sharp, strong and mentally well as they aged. However, the researchers did not find any links with tea or decaf coffee. They also found drinking caffeinated soft drinks such as cola was tied to a significantly lower chance of healthy ageing. "While past studies have linked coffee to individual health outcomes, our study is the first to assess coffee's impact across multiple domains of ageing over three decades," said Dr Sara Mahdavi, a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University. "The findings suggest that caffeinated coffee - not tea or decaf - may uniquely support ageing trajectories that preserve both mental and physical function." The study collected dietary and health data from 47,513 women who were part of the Nurses' Health Study every four years from 1984, with the researchers assessing caffeine intake using food frequency questionnaires that included the consumption of major contributors of caffeine such as coffee, tea, cola and decaffeinated coffee. Healthy ageing was defined as living to the age of 70 or older, being free from 11 major chronic diseases, having good mental health and physical function, exhibiting no cognitive impairment and showing no memory complaints. By 2016, 3,706 women met those requirements, and among them they typically consumed an average of 315mg of caffeine a day - roughly the equivalent of three small cups of coffee or one and a half large cups. The study found each extra cup of coffee a day was linked to a 2-5% higher chance of doing well later in life - up to five cups, or around 2.5 cups according to today's measures. The study also found each additional small glass of fizzy drink was associated with a 20-26% lower likelihood of healthy ageing. Two cups potentially beneficial for most people The researchers said up to two cups of coffee a day would be potentially beneficial for most people, but said drinking more may offer additional benefits for some, but may not be healthy for others. They said coffee contains a range of compounds that could act together to influence ageing pathways and said they plan to investigate how specific bioactive compounds in coffee interact with genetic and metabolic markers, especially in women. "These results, while preliminary, suggest that small, consistent habits can shape long-term health," said Dr Mahdavi. "Moderate coffee intake may offer some protective benefits when combined with other healthy behaviours such as regular exercise, a healthy diet and avoiding smoking. "While this study adds to prior evidence suggesting coffee intake may be linked with healthy ageing, the benefits from coffee are relatively modest compared to the impact of overall healthy lifestyle habits and warrant further investigation." Dr Mahdavi presented the team's findings at the American Society for Nutrition's annual conference in Orlando.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
The popular beverage linked with healthy aging
A 32-year study of nearly 50,000 women suggests that those who drank coffee in midlife were more likely to age healthily, maintaining sharpness, strength, and mental well-being. The research, presented at the American Society for Nutrition's annual conference, found that caffeinated coffee, unlike tea or decaf, was 'linked with healthy aging'. Healthy aging was defined as living to age 70 or older without major chronic diseases, maintaining physical function and good mental health, and exhibiting no cognitive impairment or memory complaints. Women considered 'healthy agers' consumed an average of 315 mg of caffeine per day in mid-life, primarily from regular coffee, with each additional cup linked to a 2-5 per cent higher chance of healthy aging. Dr Sara Mahdavi, who led the research, suggests that moderate coffee intake may offer protective benefits when combined with healthy lifestyle habits.
Fox News
4 days ago
- Health
- Fox News
Daily coffee drinking linked to major health benefit in women as they age, study finds
A popular morning beverage could do more than provide a perk — it could also help women stay healthy as they age. That's according to new research from Harvard University, which followed a group of nearly 50,000 women from the Nurses' Health Study for a 30-year period. The researchers found that drinking coffee every morning could help women stay mentally sharp and physically strong later in life, according to a press release from the American Society of Nutrition. The benefits were seen in middle-aged women who drank caffeinated coffee. Decaf coffee and tea did not have the same effect. "'Healthy aging' here meant surviving to older age without major chronic diseases and with good physical, mental and cognitive function," Dr. Sara Mahdavi, Ph.D., a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, told Fox News Digital. "Importantly, this relationship persisted even after accounting for key lifestyle factors like diet quality, physical activity and smoking — each of which are also strongly associated with healthy aging in their own right." The women who qualified as "healthy agers" were found to consume an average of 315 mg of caffeine daily, primarily via coffee-drinking. Each additional cup of coffee was linked to a 2% to 5% greater chance of healthier aging, the study found. Although soda also contains caffeine, people who drank it every day were shown to have a 20% to 26% reduced chance of healthy aging. "The health benefits appeared specific to coffee, rather than caffeine more broadly," Mahdavi noted. "We didn't see the same associations with decaf coffee, tea or caffeinated soda — suggesting that coffee's unique combination of bioactive compounds may play a key role." The findings were set to be presented on Monday at NUTRITION 2025, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition held in Orlando. "While past studies have linked coffee to individual health outcomes, our study is the first to assess coffee's impact across multiple domains of aging over three decades," said Mahdavi. "The findings suggest that caffeinated coffee … may uniquely support aging trajectories that preserve both mental and physical function." "The health benefits appeared specific to coffee, rather than caffeine more broadly." The researcher acknowledged that the study has some limitations. "As with all observational studies, we cannot establish causality," she told Fox News Digital. "While we adjusted for many factors, unmeasured confounding is always possible." Mahdavi also pointed out that the study group mostly included white, educated female health professionals. "Further work is needed to confirm generalizability to broader populations." Coffee's benefits are "relatively modest" compared to the benefits of overall healthy lifestyle habits, according to the researcher. "These results, while preliminary, suggest that small, consistent habits can shape long‑term health," said Mahdavi. "Moderate coffee intake may offer some protective benefits when combined with other healthy behaviors, such as regular exercise, a healthy diet and avoiding smoking." "We don't recommend starting coffee if you don't already drink it or if you're sensitive to caffeine," she went on. "But for people who already consume moderate amounts — typically two to four cups per day — this study adds to the evidence that coffee can be part of a healthy lifestyle." Mahdavi emphasized, however, that nutrition, regular exercise and not smoking are the "most powerful and proven contributors" to healthy aging. The team is now planning to explore how coffee's bioactive compounds — particularly polyphenols and antioxidants — might influence molecular aging pathways, including inflammation, metabolism and vascular health, Mahdavi said. For more Health articles, visit "Genetic and hormonal differences may also shape how individuals respond, which could pave the way for more personalized guidance in the future."
