Latest news with #SaraMahdavi
News18
21 minutes ago
- Health
- News18
Morning Coffee Helps Women Stay Sharp And Strong: Harvard Study
A Harvard research has reveals the best time for women to drink coffee for healthy ageing. Coffee is more than just a morning favourite, it comes with multiple health benefits. Loaded with antioxidants, it protects your cells from harm and promotes brain health. Additionally, caffeine boosts your energy, improves concentration, and elevates your mood. A study led by Harvard researcher Dr Sara Mahdavi found that women who drank caffeinated coffee during midlife were more likely to experience healthy ageing. This research tracked nearly 50,000 women over 30 years. The findings were presented at Nutrition 2025, the American Society for Nutrition's annual conference, held from May 31 to June 3 in Orlando. The study examined 47,513 women from the long-term Nurses' Health Study, monitoring their diet and health since 1984. Researchers estimated caffeine intake using detailed food questionnaires covering common sources such as coffee, tea, cola, and even decaf coffee. 'Healthy ageing' was defined as living beyond 70 years without 11 major chronic diseases, maintaining physical activity, mental sharpness, emotional well-being, and no serious memory problems. The researchers were essentially exploring how caffeine could help women maintain strength, mental clarity, and good health as they get older. The researcher discovered that drinking coffee in the morning helps women stay mentally sharp and physically strong, two important factors for healthy ageing. That first cup of coffee in the morning feels almost magical. It's more than just waking up, it's like giving your body and mind a quick boost to start the day. For many, this morning ritual does more than energise; it sets the mood and pace for what's ahead. To start with, the caffeine in coffee boosts your alertness, sharpens your focus, and lifts your mood. If you're feeling sleepy or foggy-headed, that morning cup can help clear your mind and make you feel more awake. Morning is an ideal time to enjoy coffee because your body is naturally waking up, and caffeine complements this natural rhythm, especially if you wait 30 to 60 minutes after getting up before having your cup. Additionally, drinking coffee early helps prevent it from interfering with your sleep later in the day. First Published: June 06, 2025, 10:13 IST
The Hill
17 hours ago
- Health
- The Hill
Drinking coffee daily tied to healthy aging among women, study finds
Related video: Could the cost of coffee rise due to tariffs? (NEXSTAR) – A study presented at the American Society for Nutrition Monday suggests that an eye-opening cup of java may also have long-term health benefits for women. 'Our study has several key strengths,' said Sara Mahdavi, lead researcher and an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto, in a press release. '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.' The study followed 47,513 women using dietary and health data from the Nurses' Health Study dating back to 1984. While not yet peer-reviewed or published, the supporting data is extensive, experts say, and its conclusion lines up with several other studies that have found coffee to have beneficial effects. 'The data is quite consistent that coffee consumption is actually beneficial,' a Tufts University professor not affiliated with the study told The New York Times. The study looked at the frequency with which the participants drank coffee, tea, cola or decaffeinated coffee, while accounting for other factors that could influence health aging, such as body weight, smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, education level and protein consumption. Every four years, researchers collected follow-up information on the participants' nutritional and lifestyle habits, including regular caffeine consumption. After three decades, there were 3,706 women who met the definition of a health ager: '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.' In mid-life, those same woman consumed, on average, 315 mg of caffeine per day, or about one and a half large cups of coffee. The vast majority of that caffeine intake came from regular coffee, according to the study. 'For women in the healthy agers group, each extra cup of coffee per day was tied to a 2% to 5% higher chance of doing well later in life, up to five small cups per day, or about 2.5 cups according to today's measures,' the news release stated. Alternatively, researchers found no link between healthy aging and decaffeinated coffee or tea. 'The health benefits apppeared specific to coffee, rather than caffeine more broadly,' Mahdavi told Fox News Digital. '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.' Caffeinated soda, the study found, lowered participants' chances of healthy aging by 20 percent to 26 percent. '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. While this study adds to prior evidence suggesting coffee intake may be linked with healthy aging, the benefits from coffee are relatively modest compared to the impact of overall healthy lifestyle habits and warrant further investigation.' Despite the generous sample size, Mahdavi noted that the study mostly examined the health and habits of white, educated female health professionals. 'Further work is needed to confirm generalizability to broader populations,' she told Fox News Digital, adding that, while the results are positive for coffee drinkers, the study doesn't show a direct causal relationship between the beverage and long-term health. In other words, there's no guarantee that starting a coffee habit will lead to a healthier aging process, but the study suggests that coffee drinkers don't necessarily need to cut back on the beverage in an attempt to maintain their health as they get older, David Kao, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School told CNN. For those people who aren't already coffee drinkers, or abstain from caffeine, Mahdavi said her team does not recommend taking up the habit. People with medical concerns including high blood pressure, sleep issues or anxiety, should speak with a healthcare provider before drinking coffee, as it may not be advisable.
Newsweek
17 hours ago
- Health
- Newsweek
30-Year Study Reveals Coffee's Surprising Effect on Women Over 70
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Women who consume caffeinated coffee in midlife may boost their odds of aging well, according to a 30-year study. The findings suggest that a daily cup of coffee may do more than energize—it might support physical and mental health into an aging adult's golden years. The research, which was presented at the NUTRITION 2025 conference by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health fellow Dr. Sara Mahdavi, analyzed data from the Nurses' Health Study, which began in 1984 and focused on nearly 50,000 women aged 45-60. Stock image: Two cups of coffee. Stock image: Two cups of coffee. Photo by Farknot_Architect / Getty Images "Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages globally and its relationship with long-term health has generated both scientific curiosity and public debate," Mahdavi told Newsweek in an email. "Given its rich mix of bioactives, we wanted to examine how midlife intake may relate to healthy aging outcomes decades later—especially in a well-characterized cohort with repeated dietary measures." Researchers found that women who drank regular, caffeinated coffee—not tea or decaf—had a modest, but measurable increase in the likelihood of meeting criteria for "healthy aging" by age 70. These criteria included being free from 11 major chronic diseases, having intact physical function and mental health, and reporting no memory complaints. "Caffeine likely plays a role, but it's not the only factor," Mahdavi said. "Caffeinated coffee contains a broader range of bioactive compound—including certain polyphenols and diterpenes—that may be altered or diminished during decaffeination. "It's also possible that individuals who drink decaf differ systematically in health or behavior, though we adjusted for many of those variables." What To Know On average, women in the study who aged in a healthy way consumed around 315 mg of caffeine daily—roughly equivalent to three small cups of coffee. Each additional cup was tied to a 2-to-5% increase in the odds of healthy aging, up to a threshold of five small cups per day. The researchers noted that, for most people, two cups of coffee per day are generally safe and potentially beneficial. By contrast, soda consumption was associated with a 20-to-26% reduction in the likelihood of healthy aging, which suggests not all caffeine sources offer similar benefits. "The clearest takeaway was how consistent the findings were," Mahdavi told Newsweek. "Even after accounting for factors like smoking, [body mass index] and overall diet quality, moderate caffeinated coffee intake in midlife remained positively associated with healthy aging. "By contrast, cola consumption was associated with a substantially lower likelihood of aging well—nearly four times the magnitude, in the opposite direction." Health Benefits of Coffee Previous research has linked coffee consumption to a range of health benefits, including a reduced risk of several chronic conditions. Studies published in journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine and Circulation (NEJM) have found associations between regular coffee consumption and lower rates of Type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, stroke and cardiovascular disease. A 2012 study in NEJM involving more than 400,000 participants found that people who drank coffee had a lower risk of death over the study period, whether it was caffeinated or decaf. A 2017 umbrella review in The BMJ found that coffee consumption was, "more often associated with benefit than harm," for a range of health outcomes. However, researchers have also cautioned that drinking too much coffee may pose risks for people with certain conditions, or low caffeine tolerance. "Not all beverages are equal when it comes to long-term health," Mahdavi said. "Moderate caffeinated coffee—1-to-3 cups per day—may support healthy aging, but more importantly, it can be part of a broader lifestyle that includes nutrient-rich foods, regular physical activity and avoiding harmful exposures. "The study adds to the growing body of evidence that everyday dietary choices, even in midlife, matter for how we age."
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Coffee Could Be The Secret to Healthy Aging For Women, Scientists Discover
The daily ritual of imbibing a hot cup of freshly brewed and fragrant coffee isn't just good for the soul – it may be one of the ways to smooth the road to healthy aging for women. In a study of 47,513 women in the US with data spanning 30 years, scientists have found that long-term moderate coffee consumption in mid-life is positively correlated with the markers 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," says Sara Mahdavi, nutrition scientist at Harvard University and the University of Toronto. "The findings suggest that caffeinated coffee – not tea or decaf – may uniquely support aging trajectories that preserve both mental and physical function." To assess the long-term impact of a daily cuppa (or two) on aging, Mahdavi and her colleagues made a careful study of data collected as part of the Nurses' Health Study, a series of epidemiological studies that examine the long-term impacts of various factors on the health of nurses in the US. They examined health and dietary intake data collected since 1984, all the way up to 2016. Healthy aging was defined as living to 70 years or older, maintaining good physical function, staying free from 11 major chronic diseases, and with no cognitive, mental health, or memory impairment. The researchers also adjusted for other factors that might influence health, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, level of physical activity, and body-mass index. By 2016, the researchers identified 3,706 women who qualified as healthy agers. For this group, around 80 percent of their average daily caffeine intake came in the form of three small cups' worth of coffee. By contrast, tea and decaffeinated coffee were not associated with any of the markers of healthy aging; and cola intake was associated with a negative impact for the markers of healthy aging. In other words, coffee had a positive effect; tea and decaf were neutral; and cola had a negative effect. For the healthy agers, each additional cup of coffee, up to five small cups a day, boosted the odds of healthy aging by between 2 and 5 percent. For the cola drinkers, each cup per day reduced the odds of healthy aging by 20 to 26 percent. Of course, coffee isn't a magic bullet for your health; you should still look after yourself in other ways, Mahdavi says. "These results, while preliminary, suggest that small, consistent habits can shape long-term health. Moderate coffee intake may offer some protective benefits when combined with other healthy behaviors such as regular exercise, a healthy diet, and avoiding smoking," she explains. "While this study adds to prior evidence suggesting coffee intake may be linked with healthy aging, the benefits from coffee are relatively modest compared to the impact of overall healthy lifestyle habits and warrant further investigation." The research has been presented at the NUTRITION 2025 conference in Orlando, Florida. Texas Woman Dies From Brain-Eating Amoeba After Flushing Sinuses Menopause Drug Reduces Breast Cancer Growth In Clinical Trial Bowel Cancer in Young People Is Rising – Here's How to Reduce Your Risk
Observer
2 days ago
- Health
- Observer
That cup of coffee may have a long-term perk
Most people who drink coffee appreciate the quick jolt of energy it provides. But in a new study, presented on Monday at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, scientists have found that coffee may offer the much longer-term benefit of healthy aging. The study has not been peer-reviewed or published, but it was rigorous and included a large number of women who were followed for many years. It also adds to a large body of evidence linking coffee to longer lives and various health advantages, including lower risks of certain chronic diseases — though all of these studies had limitations, including that they were observational and could not prove cause and effect. Still, the results linking coffee to healthier aging were not surprising, said Fang Fang Zhang, a professor of nutritional epidemiology at Tufts University who was not involved with the study. 'The data is quite consistent that coffee consumption is actually beneficial,' she said. What did the new research find? In the study, researchers followed more than 47,000 female nurses for several decades beginning in the 1970s. Every few years, the women answered detailed questions about their diets, including how much coffee, tea and cola (like Coca-Cola or Pepsi) they typically drank. Then the scientists looked at how many of the women were still alive and met their definition of 'healthy aging' in 2016. Just over 3,700 women met that definition: They were 70 or older; reported good physical and mental health, with no cognitive impairment or memory problems; and were free of 11 chronic diseases such as cancer, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis. The researchers found a correlation between how much caffeine the women typically drank (which was mostly from coffee) when they were between 45 and 60 years old; and their likelihood of healthy aging. After adjusting for other factors that could affect aging, such as their overall diet, how much they exercised and whether they smoked, those who consumed the most caffeine (equivalent to nearly seven 8-ounce cups of coffee per day) had odds of healthy aging that were 13 per cent higher than those who consumed the least caffeine (equivalent to less than one cup per day). Drinking tea or decaffeinated coffee was not associated with healthy aging, the researchers found. That may be because the study participants generally consumed less tea and decaffeinated coffee overall, so perhaps there were fewer chances for the researchers to find benefits linked to them, said Sara Mahdavi, an adjunct professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto who led the study. Tea and decaf coffee also have less caffeine and tea has different plant compounds from regular coffee, so that may explain the results, too, she added. Drinking cola, another potential source of caffeine, was associated with significantly decreased odds of healthy aging. If you drink coffee regularly, consider the new findings and others like it as good news that it may benefit your health. Mahdavi cautioned that while drinking up to seven small cups of coffee per day was associated with healthy aging in her study, that doesn't necessarily mean that drinking that much will benefit everyone, or that it is healthy to do so. Research in other groups of people suggests that the health benefits of coffee may plateau or even dip when they drink more than three to four cups per day. What does other research suggest? Many other studies have linked drinking coffee regularly to a lower risk of early death. In a study of more than 46,000 US adults published in May, Zhang and her colleagues found that those who consumed one to three cups of coffee per day were about 15 per cent less likely to die within the next nine to 11 years than those who didn't drink coffee. That benefit disappeared, though, for people who said they typically added more than about a half-teaspoon of sugar to their coffee and for people who added more than 1 gram of saturated fat (equivalent to about one tablespoon of half-and-half or 3.5 tablespoons of whole milk) per cup of coffee. Research has also suggested that people who drink coffee regularly have lower risks of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, liver disease, osteoporosis and some types of cancer. These kinds of studies can't prove cause and effect, said Aladdin Shadyab, an associate professor of public health and medicine at the University of California, San Diego. But because the benefits associated with coffee have been so consistent, it's unlikely that they are entirely explained by other aspects of a person's life, Zhang said. If anything, drinking coffee is often associated with unhealthy habits, like smoking and less exercise. The fact that you see benefits after accounting for these differences means that coffee is probably helping, Zhang said. How might coffee protect your health? Researchers aren't entirely sure why coffee may be beneficial. 'It's a bit of a mystery,' said Marilyn Cornelis, an associate professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. Studies of mice have found that caffeine may improve memory and protect brain cells from damage. And human studies have found links between regular (not decaffeinated) coffee and a reduced risk of Parkinson's disease. Both regular and decaf coffee contain hundreds of chemical compounds, including many that may lower inflammation and prevent cell damage, Mahdavi said. While the new study didn't find a benefit associated with decaf coffee, other research has linked it, along with regular coffee, to lower rates of Type 2 diabetes and other conditions, Cornelis said. Tea also contains many beneficial compounds and drinking it has been associated with better heart health and a longer life. What's the takeaway? If you drink coffee regularly, consider the new findings and others like it as good news that it may benefit your health — so long as you don't add too much cream or sugar, Zhang said. But if you don't enjoy coffee, Mahdavi added, there's no need to start drinking it. It can interfere with sleep or make some people feel anxious or jittery. There are plenty of other, more evidence-backed ways to boost your health and longevity, Shadyab added, such as following a balanced diet, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep and having an active social life. — The New York Times
