Excellent article by the Daily Mail on how many cups of coffee you should have by age for optimal health - plus the many health benefits of coffee!
Coffee has long been one of Britain's favourite drinks, with 95 million cups consumed every single day.
For many, it is an essential part of the morning routine, relied upon to sharpen focus, boost energy and remedy sleep debt.
But scientists increasingly believe the brew is doing far more than helping us wake up. There are benefits that apply to the brain, liver and bones – with studies suggesting that up to five cups per day is the ideal dose.
Coffee offers a potent double health boost, combining caffeine which can boost alertness and improve physical performance, with anti-inflammatory polyphenols that scientists believe can lower risk of dementia, heart disease, frailty and premature death.
But fascinatingly, experts now believe those benefits may differ, depending on our age.
Older adults may see greater heart health improvements - due to the accumulation of blood-boosting compounds over time.
Meanwhile women at menopausal age may be more vulnerable to the anxiety-inducing effect.
Here, experts reveal the ideal amount of coffee to drink at every stage of life.
At least two cups a day in your 30s... even if it's decaf
Your thirties may feel a little early to be worrying about chronic diseases.
But experts increasingly believe this is the decade when many of the conditions that emerge later in life first take root.
One study tracking more than 350,000 UK adults aged over 37 found that those who drank five or more cups of coffee a day had a significantly lower risk of liver cancer than non-coffee drinkers.
They were also around a third less likely to develop cirrhosis, a serious condition in which the liver becomes permanently scarred and damaged.
The benefits were even seen among people who drank decaffeinated coffee.
Scientists believe coffee's protective power comes from compounds known as polyphenols, which help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress throughout the body.
These powerful antioxidants may also help protect the brain from dementia - decades before symptoms appear.
People who drink two to three cups of coffee a day over the course of their working life have a lower risk of dementia and perform better on cognitive tests than those who avoid coffee altogether, research suggests.
One study tracking more than 130,000 people over 40 years found those who routinely drank two to three cups of coffee had a 20 per cent lower risk of dementia.
Alex Manos, health and performance director at Exhale Coffee, said: 'Polyphenols protect your brain by passing through the blood-brain barrier to reduce neuroinflammation, stimulate the growth of new neurons, and optimise blood flow.'
Three small cups in your 40s...if you're a woman
It’ll come as welcome news for peri-menopausal women who can’t function without their morning coffee - caffeine has been linked to healthy ageing, specifically in women.
And coffee's protective effect appears to peak when the person drinking it is around 48-years-old, according to research.
Experts at Harvard University analysed data from more than 47,000 women aged 45 to 60 and found those who drank three small cups a day were 13 per cent more likely to see mental and physical benefits in their 70s and beyond.
Each additional cup was linked to a two per cent higher chance of being free from major chronic diseases and in good mental and cognitive health.
‘Those who drank moderate amounts of caffeinated coffee [at that age] were more likely o age in good health over the next 30 years,’ Dr Sara Mahdavi, the study’s lead author, explained.
While the researchers stopped short of suggesting that all women should start drinking coffee, Dr Mahdavi said: ‘For women who already consume caffeinated coffee and tolerate it well, the findings are reassuring.
‘The results suggest that small, consistent habits can shape long-term health.’
The fluctuation in female sex hormones seen at this stage of life can influence how quickly caffeine is broken down, experts believe, which explains why the effect is seen mainly in women.
For some, however, hormonal changes during the perimenopause - which for most women occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 - can increase sensitivity to caffeine, making symptoms such as anxiety, palpitations and sleep disturbances worse.
Up to five cups a day could help protect your heart and liver after 50
Turning 50 often comes with a stark reminder that the risk of heart disease and stroke begins to clim
For decades experts have warned that too much caffeine could put additional strain on an ageing heart.
But newer evidence paints a far more reassuring picture.
Earlier this year, the American Heart Association concluded that most healthy adults can safely consume five cups of coffee a day in midlife, without increasing their risk of cardiovascular disease.
That does not mean everyone over 50 should immediately start drinking five cups a day.
Dr Neil Clarke, an expert at the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee, stressed that caffeine tolerance remains highly individual and can change with age.
'Some older adults may benefit from adjusting intake according to their caffeine sensitivity, sleep quality, and any medical conditions or medications,' he said.
Again from The Daily Mail.
