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Gulf Insider
17-07-2025
- Health
- Gulf Insider
Caffeine May Slow Cellular Aging
That jolt you feel from your morning coffee isn't just hitting your brain—it's reaching deep into your cells and flipping biological switches that could help you age more slowly. Recent research suggests caffeine acts like a personal trainer for our cells, stressing them just enough to activate the same longevity pathways triggered by hitting the gym or cutting calories.'In a sense, a bit of stress is beneficial,' John-Patrick Alao, a postdoctoral research scientist and the lead author of the study, told The Epoch Times. The study, published in Microbial Cell, discovered that caffeine induces a stress-like response in cells, activating a longevity pathway called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). AMPK functions like a cellular fuel gauge. When energy runs low or during times of stress, AMPK activates, forcing cells to conserve resources, repair damage, and clean up faulty components by recycling parts of themselves. In biology, too much stress harms cells, but small amounts can actually help them adapt and repair, preventing damage from piling up. Over time, this helps tissues stay healthier, which supports a longer lifespan. 'Our research, at least in terms of caffeine, suggests that AMPK gets turned on because caffeine is exerting some sort of stress on the cells,' Alao said. Alao noted that the little stress exerted by caffeine on yeast cells switches on protective genes and keeps cells in repair mode, preventing damage from building up and extending their lifespan. He likened it to having a mechanic with you at all times to catch problems early. 'Caffeine's natural activation of this pathway suggests it could be a valuable nutritional tool… Something as common as your morning coffee could eventually play a role in how we design diets or treatments to improve long-term health and potentially support cancer therapies,' said Dr. Thomas M. Holland, a physician scientist and assistant professor at the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, who isn't part of the study. The researchers used fission yeast cells for their experiments. While the findings cannot be directly applied to humans, yeast have similar cellular pathways that work similarly to human cells. Holland noted that while the study used yeast and didn't provide specific intake recommendations for humans, other research supports moderate caffeine consumption. While caffeine's mild stress on cells helps trigger processes tied to a longer lifespan—like making them divide earlier and at smaller sizes—this same response can also make cells more vulnerable to DNA damage because it gives them less time to catch and fix problems before multiplying, allowing damage to slip through more easily. This poses particular risks for people with genetic conditions such as ataxia telangiectasia (ATM), who have difficulty repairing DNA damage. 'If you have ATM mutations, caffeine is probably not good for you,' Alao said. 'But if you are healthy and you don't have these mutations, then it is because you are turning on the stress… and your DNA repair machinery is then being turned on.' However, Alao noted that significant questions remain about how caffeine's effects translate from yeast cells to humans. In people, AMPK is more complex, with different forms found in different tissues like the heart and skeletal muscle. Also said that the AMPK system, while protective in healthy cells, may also help cancer cells survive under metabolic stress. Multiple large-scale studies have linked coffee consumption to longer, healthier lives. A recent study of nearly 50,000 women over 30 years found that those who drank about 315 milligrams of caffeine daily—roughly one and a half large cups of coffee—were more likely to age healthily, free from major chronic diseases. Another study published in The Journal of Nutrition found that people who drink one to three cups of coffee daily have a 15 percent lower risk of death compared to noncoffee drinkers. The study also showed that coffee's health benefits diminish when it is paired with sugar and saturated fats, such as those in many dairy-based creamers. 'Typically around 200 to 400 milligrams per day, or roughly two to four cups of coffee, [have been shown in studies to be] both safe and potentially beneficial for most adults,' Holland said. Holland emphasized that caffeine is most beneficial when included as part of a balanced lifestyle—particularly one that combines a mostly plant-based diet and regular physical activity. He noted that natural sources of caffeine, such as coffee and tea, also provide polyphenols and antioxidants, which may help reduce inflammation, improve metabolism, and lower oxidative stress—factors linked to reduced cancer risk. Like Holland, Melissa Mitri, a registered dietitian and nutrition writer, recommends people stay away from supplements and energy drinks. 'Some energy drinks and supplements contain a more concentrated form of caffeine, such as caffeine anhydrous, which can provide a significantly larger and more potent dose of caffeine than what is found in a cup of coffee.' Mitri also noted that while more research is needed, a moderate amount of caffeine may help protect healthy cells during cancer treatment by reducing the potential damage caused by therapies like chemotherapy. 'Caffeine turns on AMPK, and AMPK is a really important target because it gets turned on by calorie restriction and exercise, and we know that calorie restriction and exercise are proven to extend lifespan,' Alao said. Caffeine isn't the only compound linked to a longer lifespan through these cellular pathways. Other substances and diets are already known to target the same longevity-enhancing systems. Rapamycin, for example, directly inhibits Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (TORC1), a protein complex that helps control how cells grow and respond to nutrients, slowing down the cell's growth machinery. Metformin, a widely used diabetes drug that improves insulin sensitivity, doesn't act directly on TORC1 but instead lowers the cell's energy state, which in turn activates AMPK. Chronic overnutrition—particularly diets high in sugar, refined starches, and ultra-processed foods—deactivates AMPK, activating a pathway called TORC1, which promotes growth and accelerates aging. 'If you eat a lot of sugar, a high-fat Western diet, the TOR [Target of Rapamycin] is always on. And this leads to aging,' Alao said. In contrast, dietary restrictions like low-protein diets and intermittent fasting activate AMPK, promoting the cellular cleanup processes that appear crucial for longevity. 'Basically the body starts to eat itself, which seems to be important for cleaning all the damaged proteins and so on.' Also read: Study Reveals How Many Cups Of Coffee Needed To Shield Against Liver Disease
Hans India
06-07-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Morning coffee could be the secret to slowing ageing, new study reveals
For millions of people around the world, a morning cup of coffee is a daily ritual that jumpstarts the day. Now, new scientific research suggests that this beloved beverage might be doing more than just providing an energy boost — it could also play a role in slowing down ageing and promoting a longer life. A groundbreaking study conducted by researchers at Queen Mary University of London has revealed that caffeine, the main stimulant in coffee, directly interacts with key cellular systems that govern energy, stress response, and DNA repair — all essential components of the ageing process. Published in the journal Microbial Cell, the study details how caffeine activates AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase), a critical protein often referred to as the cell's 'fuel gauge.' This protein senses when cells are low on energy and responds by kickstarting repair mechanisms and enhancing cellular resilience. 'When your cells are low on energy, AMPK kicks in to help them cope,' explained Dr. Charalampos (Babis) Rallis, Reader in Genetics, Genomics, and Fundamental Cell Biology at Queen Mary's Centre for Molecular Cell Biology. 'Our results show that caffeine helps flip that switch.' AMPK is not a new discovery in the world of longevity science. It is also the target of metformin, a widely-used diabetes medication that is being investigated for its potential to extend human lifespan, along with another drug called rapamycin. What sets this study apart is its use of a yeast model to simulate human cellular behaviour. The team demonstrated that caffeine's activation of AMPK improves cell growth, enhances DNA repair capabilities, and strengthens stress responses. These mechanisms are directly tied to the processes of ageing and the development of age-related diseases. Dr. John-Patrick Alao, a postdoctoral scientist and lead author of the study, emphasized the significance of the findings: 'These results help explain why caffeine might be beneficial for health and longevity. And they open up exciting possibilities for future research into how we might trigger these effects more directly — with diet, lifestyle, or new medicines.' While more research is needed to translate these findings into practical treatments or recommendations, the study reinforces previous observational data suggesting that moderate coffee consumption is associated with lower risks of diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and certain cancers. With over two billion cups of coffee consumed globally every day, the implications of caffeine's influence on cellular ageing are massive. Researchers hope that this study paves the way for developing new therapeutic strategies aimed at mimicking caffeine's effects for those who may not consume it regularly or cannot tolerate it. For now, coffee lovers have even more reason to savour their daily brew — it might just be the world'smost delicious anti-ageing elixir.
The Print
30-06-2025
- Health
- The Print
That morning brew could be doing more than just jumpstarting your day—helping your cells age gracefully
The scientists looked at how caffeine, which is the world's most widely consumed neuroactive compound, works at the cellular level. The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Microbial Cell this week. New Delhi: A new study from Queen Mary University of London has found that the caffeine in your coffee might be doing more than just waking you up—it could be helping your cells age more gracefully. They conducted a test on fission yeast, an organism that shares key cellular systems with humans, and discovered that caffeine activates a system called AMPK, which is a cellular pathway responsible for regulating growth and metabolism in cells. Basically, when cells are low on energy, AMPK kicks in to help them cope, slowing growth and boosting repair systems. Caffeine helps activate this, thus helping cell growth and ageing. So, that cup of coffee might not just perk up your brain; it could also be giving your cells a nudge toward healthier ageing. Cleaner & greener way to extract gold Flinders University in Australia has come up with a safer and greener way to extract gold not just from ore, but also from e-waste like old computer parts. A paper published Thursday in the peer-reviewed Nature Sustainability journal by a group of scientists from the field of chemistry, engineering, and physics describes a method of extraction that is non-toxic and requires only cheap materials like salt and water. Traditionally, gold is extracted using highly toxic chemicals like cyanide or mercury. Cyanide is used to dissolve gold from crushed ore, while small-scale miners use mercury to form gold-mercury amalgams, which are then heated, releasing poisonous vapours as byproducts. These methods pose serious risks to people and the environment, causing mercury pollution and toxic waste. The new method uses a compound commonly used in water disinfection called trichloroisocyanuric acid, to safely dissolve the gold. It is activated by salt water. The dissolved gold is then captured using a recyclable sulphur-rich polymer. The process is supposed to be clean, reusable, and works on various waste streams. The team now plans to scale this up and help small miners and recyclers move away from hazardous practices. Also Read: Where no humanoid has gone before: Italian scientists develop world's first flying robot Mammoth ivory or elephant ivory? New way to tell A new scientific method developed by the University of Hong Kong can differentiate between legal mammoth ivory and illegal elephant ivory. To protect elephants from extinction, the global sale of elephant ivory is banned; however, mammoth ivory, which comes from ancient remains preserved in permafrost, remains legal. But the two types of ivory can look very similar, making it easy for traffickers to smuggle illegal elephant ivory disguised as mammoth ivory. Current methods like radiocarbon dating or DNA analysis to differentiate between the two are expensive and slow. Now, scientists from University of Hong Kong have developed a fast, affordable method using stable isotope analysis to tell them apart. Isotope analysis is basically the analysis of ratios of different compounds, like hydrogen, oxygen, and sulphur in samples. By studying the specific isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen, the researchers found they could reliably distinguish elephant ivory. This is because hydrogen and oxygen isotopes are traces of the water drunk by these animals, which is different for elephants (mainly from tropical areas), and mammoth (mainly from ancient Siberia). This new technique is a step towards closing a major loophole in the illegal ivory trade. The peer-reviewed research was published in Frontiers this week. 'Heartbeats' underneath Africa signal creation of ocean basin New research led by scientists at UK's University of Southampton reveals that Africa is slowly being torn apart by rhythmic pulses of molten rock rising from deep within the Earth. But not to worry, it won't show results for at least a million years. Researchers have discovered these mantle surges beneath Ethiopia's Afar region, and they say it's helping to form what could eventually become a new ocean basin. Using volcanic rock samples, advanced modelling, and chemical analyses, researchers found a chemical striping in the mantle plume beneath Afar that provides evidence of this pulsing activity. The findings would help scientists better understand how deep Earth processes like mantle flow are tied to surface events, such as earthquakes, volcanoes and continental rifting. Published in Nature Geoscience this week, the peer-reviewed study shows that these upwellings of hot mantle rock aren't steady. They pulse like a beating heart, influenced by the movement of tectonic plates above. Over millions of years, as these plates stretch and thin, they'll eventually break apart, marking the birth of a new ocean basin. (Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui) Also Read: 007 would drool. Chinese researchers invent contact lenses that let you see even with your eyes closed
Gulf Insider
27-06-2025
- Health
- Gulf Insider
Scientists Reveal Your Morning Coffee Flips An Ancient Longevity Switch
Caffeine appears to do more than perk you up—it activates AMPK, a key cellular fuel sensor that helps cells cope with stress and energy shortages. This could explain why coffee is linked to better health and longer life. A new study from the Cellular Ageing and Senescence laboratory at Queen Mary University of London's Cenfre for Molecular Cell Biology, reveals how caffeine — the world's most popular neuroactive compound — might do more than just wake you up. The study in the journal Microbial Cell shows how caffeine could play a role in slowing down the ageing process at a cellular level. Caffeine has long been linked to potential health benefits, including reduced risk of age-related diseases. But how it works inside our cells, and what exactly are its connections with nutrient and stress responsive gene and protein networks has remained a mystery — until now. In new research published by scientists studying fission yeast — a single-celled organism surprisingly similar to human cells — researchers found that caffeine affects ageing by tapping into an ancient cellular energy system. A few years ago, the same research team found that caffeine helps cells live longer by acting on a growth regulator called TOR (Target of Rapamycin). TOR is a biological switch that tells cells when to grow, based on how much food and energy is available. This switch has been controlling energy and stress responses in living things for over 500 million years. But in their latest study, the scientists made a surprising discovery: caffeine doesn't act on this growth switch directly. Instead, it works by activating another important system called AMPK, a cellular fuel gauge that is evolutionarily conserved in yeast and humans. 'When your cells are low on energy, AMPK kicks in to help them cope,' explains Dr Charalampos (Babis) Rallis, Reader in Genetics, Genomics and Fundamental Cell Biology at Queen Mary University of London, the study's senior author. 'And our results show that caffeine helps flip that switch.' Interestingly, AMPK is also the target of metformin, a common diabetes drug that's being studied for its potential to extend human lifespan together with rapamycin. Using their yeast model, the researchers showed that caffeine's effect on AMPK influences how cells grow, repair their DNA, and respond to stress — all of which are tied to ageing and disease. 'These findings help explain why caffeine might be beneficial for health and longevity,' said Dr John-Patrick Alao the postdoctoral research scientist leading this study. 'And they open up exciting possibilities for future research into how we might trigger these effects more directly — with diet, lifestyle, or new medicines.' So, the next time you reach for your coffee, you might be doing more than just boosting your focus — you could also be giving your cells a helping hand.
Daily Mail
27-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
The drink that could lengthen your lifespan - and is linked to a lower risk of dementia, diabetes and heart disease
Drinking coffee might not only perk you up, it may even help you live longer, scientists suggest. Experts found caffeine—the component of the morning favourite that gives it stimulating powers—influenced how cells grow, repair and respond to stress. This, British researchers said, could provide some major potential benefits to longevity and explain how it wards off major killers like dementia, diabetes and heart failure. In lab tests, the team found caffeine triggered cells to enter an energy restoration system scientists call AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase). AMPK, an enzyme, acts similar to the fuel gauge in a car. When energy levels in a cell get too low, AMPK kicks in, triggering a series of reactions that help protect and repair it. Cells more able to access this system age slower, can repair DNA more effectively and respond better to stress, factors tied to combating ageing and disease. The team, from Queen Mary University, London, said this process could explain why drinking coffee has been linked to a lower risk of serious health conditions and a prolonged lifespan. Dr John-Patrick Alao, an expert in cell biology and lead scientist of the study, explained: 'These findings help explain why caffeine might be beneficial for health and longevity'. He added that the research also opened the door to developing drugs and therapies which could be used activate the same system in the future. In the study, published in the journal Microbial Cell, the team analysed how a type of yeast with similar properties to human cells—responded to caffeine. The research is the latest to highlight the potential health benefits of coffee. Earlier this month, US researchers found coffee lovers tended to have healthier hearts, putting them at lower risk of cardiac death. Experts from Tufts University, Boston, found that people who drank between two and three cups of black coffee a day, saw the most benefits, slashing their risk by almost a fifth. Other research has linked regular coffee consumption to a lower risk of depression, better liver health, improved weight loss and reduced odds of developing conditions like type 2 diabetes and dementia. Scientists are still working to understand exactly how coffee achieves its health boosting effects. While some—like the recent research point to caffeine—others highlight how the drink is rich in polyphenols, natural plant compounds with antioxidant properties that protect cell health, as another potential mechanism. But it's not all good news for coffee lovers. Other studies have linked coffee consumption to vision problems, increased risk of certain cancers, and heart disease. The NHS itself warns Britons that consuming more than four cups a day could lead to a dangerous increase in blood pressure, increasing the risk of serious problems like heart attack, stroke and even dementia. Experts have said part of the problem with unpicking the potential health benefits and risks of coffee consumption is the variety of ways people prepare and drink it. Some studies have found particular risks and boons are linked to if the coffee is instant or freshly brewed or if it is filtered. Another complicating factor is what people have with their coffee, if they add sugar, milk or flavoured syrups as well as how many cups they have per day. Heart disease and dementia, two health conditions coffee may protect against, are some of biggest killers in Britain. Approximately, 170,000 Britons die from heart and circulatory diseases combined per year in the UK, according to the British heart Foundation. This is equivalent to about 480 fatalities per day or roughly a quarter of all deaths. The most recent data suggests 74,261 people died from dementia in 2022, making it the biggest killer by single cause of death.
