Caffeine doesn’t just have side effects: here’s why you can continue to consume it

You probably don’t know it, but when you drank your coffee this morning, not only did you benefit from the booster effect of caffeine, but you also prepared yourself to be less fragile in the years to come. Explanations.

A team of researchers from the University of Singapore followed 12,000 participants aged 45 to 74. After asking them about their caffeine intake, they found that consuming beverages like tea and coffee helped adults have significantly better physical function later in life.

Coffee, black tea and green tea have the same protective effects

Coffee and tea were found to be the main sources of caffeine consumption in this cohort, accounting for 84% and 12% of total caffeine, respectively. Study participants were classified into four categories based on their coffee consumption: non-daily drinkers, one cup per day, two to three cups per day, and four or more cups per day. Tea drinkers were categorized by their frequency of consumption: never, at least once a month, at least once a week, and daily drinkers.

“The study results showed that participants who drank four or more cups of coffee per day had a significantly reduced risk of physical frailty at the end of their lives, compared to participants who did not drink coffee daily,” emphasizes the Professor Koh Woon Puay, lead author of the study, in a press release.

“Participants who drank black or green tea daily also had a significantly reduced risk of physical frailty, compared to non-tea drinkers,” he adds.

“Our studies show that consumption of these caffeinated beverages may be associated with a reduced likelihood of physical frailty later in life. However, further studies are still needed to verify whether these effects are mediated by caffeine or other chemical compounds” concludes Professor Koh.

Source : Consumption of Coffee, Tea, and Caffeine at Midlife, and the Risk of Physical Frailty in Late LifeJamda, October 2023