Coffee reduces risk of getting dementia and boosts physical fitness in old age

29 October 2023 , 18:24

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Four cups of coffee a day could be the key to fitness in later life, a study has found (Image: Getty Images)

Coffee may reduce your risk of dementia and slow your physical ageing process in later life, according to major new studies.

One 12,000-participant study by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) discovered a link between increased caffeine intake and decreased “physical frailty in late life”. The study found that those drinking four cups of coffee a day scored the best in terms of physical frailty - with black and green tea drinkers also benefitting.

Participants were first interviewed at an average age of 53, when they were asked about their coffee habits and diet. Around 20 years later, with the average age at 73, the participants were surveyed about their weight, energy levels, strength of hand grip and the ‘Timed Up and Go’ test which measures standing up and walking short distances.

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Ultimately, the study found that those who drank multiple cups of coffee a day were at a demonstrably lower risk of physical frailty at later life than those who consumed no caffeine. However, the NUS researchers also noted that further studies are required to investigate the impact of chemical compounds other then caffeine in tea and coffee.

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Over two thirds (68.5 per cent) of participants drank coffee on a daily basis, with just over half (52.9 per cent) of that group drinking just one cup a day. 42.4 per cent consumed two to three and 4.9 percent drank four or more per day. Tea drinkers were split into four categories: those who never drink it, and those who consume it at least once a month, once a week, and daily.

The American Medical Directors Association published the study and concluded that caffeine intake is correlated with lower odds of physical frailty - whatever the caffeine source. The link between caffeine and decreased physical frailty was more strong in the handgrip strength and ‘Timed Up and Go’ test than on self-reported measures of exhaustion and weight loss.

The study follows countless research studies which point to other health benefits among humans as the grow older. Studies have linked coffee with lower risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Another linked coffee drinking with a smaller risk of hip fractures for women.

Coffee and tea contain other compounds such as bioactive polyphenols with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These have been associated with a lower risk of neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and obesity.

Alex Croft