A new Harvard University study suggests that drinking caffeinated coffee daily may help women maintain better physical and mental health as they age.
The long-term study followed nearly 50,000 participants from the Nurses’ Health Study for 30 years. Researchers found that women who consumed caffeinated coffee regularly were more likely to experience “healthy aging,” defined as reaching older age without major chronic diseases and with strong physical, cognitive, and mental function.
The findings, shared in a press release by the American Society for Nutrition, showed that the positive effects were specific to caffeinated coffee. Decaffeinated coffee, tea, and caffeinated sodas did not offer the same benefits.
Dr. Sara Mahdavi, a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said the link remained strong even after accounting for lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, and smoking.
On average, the healthiest participants consumed about 315 milligrams of caffeine daily, mostly from coffee. Each additional cup of coffee was linked to a 2% to 5% greater likelihood of healthy aging. In contrast, women who drank caffeinated soda daily had a 20% to 26% lower chance of aging healthily.
“The benefits appear to be specific to coffee,” said Mahdavi. “We believe coffee’s unique mix of bioactive compounds — including antioxidants and polyphenols — may play an important role.”
The findings were presented at NUTRITION 2025, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition in Orlando.
Mahdavi cautioned that the study is observational, meaning it cannot prove cause and effect. She also noted that the participants were mostly white, educated female health professionals, which may limit the findings’ broader applicability.
Still, the results support the idea that small, consistent habits like moderate coffee consumption — two to four cups per day — may contribute to better long-term health when paired with 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,” Mahdavi added. “But for current coffee drinkers, this research suggests it may be a helpful part of a healthy lifestyle.”
Future research will explore how coffee compounds affect aging at the molecular level, including their role in inflammation, metabolism, and vascular health. The team also hopes to investigate how genetic and hormonal differences influence individual responses to coffee.
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