A new study has found that people who drink coffee every day can live up to five years longer than those who avoid it.
The study also highlights that drinking up to four cups a day appears to slow down biological aging.
"In moderation, coffee consumption can have a positive effect, but in large doses it has the opposite effect. Coffee consumption up to the recommended daily limit was associated with a biological age five years younger compared to those who did not drink coffee," the study authors said.
The study, published in the journal BMJ Mental Health, specifically looked at the effects of coffee on aging in people with serious mental illness, by studying the length of their telomeres. As we age, telomeres shorten—but this process is accelerated in people with serious psychiatric disorders, such as psychosis, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.
The study included 436 adults from the Norwegian psychosis program TOP (Thematically Organized Psychosis). Of these, 259 had schizophrenia, while the other 177 had bipolar disorder or major depression with psychosis. The participants were divided into four groups, depending on their daily coffee consumption: none, one to two cups, three to four, and five or more.
Using blood samples, the researchers measured the length of telomeres in white blood cells and found that those who drank four glasses a day had significantly longer telomeres, comparable to a biological age five years younger than non-drinkers.
Researchers attribute coffee's potential anti-aging benefits to its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substances.