Latest news with #SaraMahdavi
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Tea or coffee? Harvard researcher's 30-year study on 50,000 women might settle the debate
In a revelation that could reshape your morning routine, a Harvard-backed study spanning over three decades and involving nearly 50,000 women has linked moderate coffee consumption with healthier aging and improved longevity. And no, tea or decaf doesn't make the cut. Led by Dr. Sara Mahdavi, a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the research presented at the American Society of Nutrition's annual meeting suggests that caffeinated coffee—specifically—may play a pivotal role in preserving both mental sharpness and physical vitality well into old age. How Coffee Came Into the Anti-Aging Spotlight Beginning in 1984, the study followed 47,513 women, tracking their health outcomes, lifestyle choices, and daily beverage habits. Fast forward to 2016, and only 3,706 of them qualified as 'healthy agers.' What counted as healthy aging? Reaching age 70 or older without major chronic illnesses, cognitive decline, or physical impairments—and with self-reported good mental health. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 20 Things Women Should NEVER Wear! Undo The standout factor? Coffee consumption. Women who drank at least one cup of caffeinated coffee daily were more likely to fall into the healthy aging group. Even more compelling: for every additional cup consumed per day (up to five), the chances of aging well increased by 2% to 5%. The benefits, however, tapered off after five cups—suggesting moderation is still key. 'Moderate coffee intake may offer some protective benefits when combined with other healthy behaviors,' said Dr. Mahdavi in a press release, adding that the findings reinforce—but don't outweigh—the impact of exercise, a balanced diet, and avoiding smoking. You Might Also Like: India's silent epidemic: 6 foods to include in your diet if you have fatty liver Not All Caffeine Is Created Equal Interestingly, the benefits were exclusive to regular coffee. Tea and decaffeinated versions showed no significant impact on healthy aging, while soda—specifically cola—was associated with reduced positive health outcomes. This isn't the first study to give coffee a gold star. A separate study published in May 2024 involving 50,000 American adults found that one to three cups of coffee daily reduced the risk of death within the next decade by 15% compared to non-coffee drinkers. But Dr. Mahdavi cautions that coffee isn't a miracle brew. While it may help tip the scales toward graceful aging, its effects are modest when weighed against broader lifestyle choices. 'The benefits from coffee are relatively modest compared to the impact of overall healthy lifestyle habits and warrant further investigation,' she said. So, Should You Pour Another Cup? If you're healthy, active, and already enjoy your daily brew, science says—go ahead. Your coffee habit may be doing more than waking you up. It might just be helping you age better. But remember, more isn't always better. It's about striking the right balance—just like the perfect cup. You Might Also Like: This 'healthy' breakfast drink may be doing more harm than good for diabetics. Health experts warn
Economic Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Economic Times
Tea or coffee? Harvard researcher's 30-year study on 50,000 women might settle the debate
How Coffee Came Into the Anti-Aging Spotlight You Might Also Like: India's silent epidemic: 6 foods to include in your diet if you have fatty liver Not All Caffeine Is Created Equal So, Should You Pour Another Cup? You Might Also Like: This 'healthy' breakfast drink may be doing more harm than good for diabetics. Health experts warn In a revelation that could reshape your morning routine, a Harvard-backed study spanning over three decades and involving nearly 50,000 women has linked moderate coffee consumption with healthier aging and improved longevity. And no, tea or decaf doesn't make the by Dr. Sara Mahdavi, a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the research presented at the American Society of Nutrition's annual meeting suggests that caffeinated coffee—specifically—may play a pivotal role in preserving both mental sharpness and physical vitality well into old in 1984, the study followed 47,513 women, tracking their health outcomes, lifestyle choices, and daily beverage habits. Fast forward to 2016, and only 3,706 of them qualified as 'healthy agers.' What counted as healthy aging? Reaching age 70 or older without major chronic illnesses, cognitive decline, or physical impairments—and with self-reported good mental standout factor? Coffee consumption. Women who drank at least one cup of caffeinated coffee daily were more likely to fall into the healthy aging group. Even more compelling: for every additional cup consumed per day (up to five), the chances of aging well increased by 2% to 5%. The benefits, however, tapered off after five cups—suggesting moderation is still key.'Moderate coffee intake may offer some protective benefits when combined with other healthy behaviors,' said Dr. Mahdavi in a press release, adding that the findings reinforce—but don't outweigh—the impact of exercise, a balanced diet, and avoiding the benefits were exclusive to regular coffee. Tea and decaffeinated versions showed no significant impact on healthy aging, while soda—specifically cola—was associated with reduced positive health isn't the first study to give coffee a gold star. A separate study published in May 2024 involving 50,000 American adults found that one to three cups of coffee daily reduced the risk of death within the next decade by 15% compared to non-coffee Dr. Mahdavi cautions that coffee isn't a miracle brew. While it may help tip the scales toward graceful aging, its effects are modest when weighed against broader lifestyle choices. 'The benefits from coffee are relatively modest compared to the impact of overall healthy lifestyle habits and warrant further investigation,' she you're healthy, active, and already enjoy your daily brew, science says—go ahead. Your coffee habit may be doing more than waking you up. It might just be helping you age better. But remember, more isn't always better. It's about striking the right balance—just like the perfect cup.
CNBC
2 days ago
- Health
- CNBC
Harvard study of nearly 50,000 women over 30 years finds coffee drinking linked to healthy aging, longevity: It seems to offer 'protective benefits'
Coffee, and whether or not it's good for you, has been a research focus for decades. A regular cup or two has been linked to better heart health, a longer life, and most recently, a study led by a Harvard researcher, Dr. Sara Mahdavi found that drinking coffee may even aid healthy aging in women. "The findings suggest that caffeinated coffee—not tea or decaf—may uniquely support aging trajectories that preserve both mental and physical function," said Mahdavi, a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The paper, which was presented at the American Society of Nutrition's annual meeting, has not yet been published or peer-reviewed. But the findings are robust. Researchers followed 47,513 women over the course of decades, starting in 1984, and analyzed their health data and coffee-drinking habits. By 2016, only 3,706 participants were considered healthy agers. Factors that the researchers considered to define healthy aging were: The researchers considered additional lifestyle factors like smoking, exercise frequency and diet, and adjusted for their contribution to health outcomes. Participants were also asked to share how often they drank coffee, tea and either Coca-Cola or Pepsi, which can all be sources of caffeine. Women who had at least one cup of coffee daily were more likely to be among the healthy agers, the study found. Of the healthy agers, each extra cup of coffee they had each day was associated with a 2% to 5% increased chance of aging well, peaking at about five small cups a day. Drinking tea or decaffeinated coffee didn't have a clear connection to healthy aging in the study, and drinking cola drastically lowered chances of positive health outcomes. How much coffee per day leads to healthy aging is debatable. Mahdavi says drinking up to seven small cups of coffee daily was associated with healthy aging in the study, but whether or not that amount is healthy can shift depending on the person. Other recent studies have pointed to the potential health benefits of drinking coffee. A recent study of nearly 50,000 U.S. adults published this May found that having one to three cups of coffee a day could lower a person's chances of dying by around 15% within the following nine to 11 years, in comparison to those who didn't consume the drink. "Moderate coffee intake may offer some protective benefits when combined with other healthy behaviors such as regular exercise, a healthy diet and avoiding smoking," Mahdavi said in a press release. "While this study adds to prior evidence suggesting coffee intake may be linked with healthy aging, the benefits from coffee are relatively modest compared to the impact of overall healthy lifestyle habits and warrant further investigation."
The Star
10-06-2025
- Health
- The Star
Coffee helps with healthy ageing, but cola could be a problem: Study
Coffee, already proven to be a barrier against cognitive decline, is now believed to also help women age more healthily, according to new research. — Photo: Bernd Diekjobst/dpa Drinking coffee could help women age more healthily, while cola could do the opposite, according to researchers from Harvard University, Tufts University and the University of Toronto. A team of scientists speaking at the May 31 – June 3 Nutrition 2025 conference in Orlando say they found indications that "regular coffee intake in midlife were modestly and favourably associated with healthy ageing." Not all caffeinated drinks have that same positive effect, however. "Drinking more cola was tied to a significantly lower chance of healthy ageing," the team warned, after studying caffeine intake almost 50,000 women over 30 years. A morning coffee not only kickstarts a day, it can "help women stay sharp, strong and mentally well as they age," the researchers said, adding that they "didn't find any links with tea or decaf." Coffee "may uniquely support ageing trajectories that preserve both mental and physical function," said Sara Mahdavi of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the University of Toronto, who at the same time cautioned that "the benefits from coffee are relatively modest compared to the impact of overall healthy lifestyle habits." Caffeine intake was assessed using "validated food frequency questionnaires" takeing in coffee, tea, cola and decaf, the team explained, adding that the findings were "adjusted for age, BMI [body mass index], smoking, alcohol, physical activity, education, and dietary protein." The findings follow the publication in 2023 and 2024 of research showing espresso to be a potential barrier against cognitive decline and moderate coffee intake as possibly reducing the likelihood of stroke and diabetes.
West Australian
08-06-2025
- Health
- West Australian
New study suggests coffee consumption may reduce signs of ageing in women
Coffee may offer several health benefits, depending on who you ask, but now a recent study suggests it may help women reduce some of the effects of ageing. According to recent study results, regular coffee intake increased the chances of experiencing no physical function limitations, memory complaints, mental health impairments, cognitive impairments, or major chronic diseases among women in the Nurses' Health Study. The results of the study were shared at Nutrition 2025, a conference held between May 31 and June 3, in Orlando, Florida. Researchers examined food frequency questionnaires to look at the caffeine intake from decaf and regular tea, cola, and decaf and regular coffee of 47, 513 women. They did not find an association between healthy ageing and drinking tea, decaffeinated tea, or decaffeinated coffee. The results also suggested that drinking cola might actually decrease women's likelihood of healthy ageing. Study author Sara Mahdavi, said she found that a moderate intake of caffeinated coffee during midlife was modestly associated with healthy ageing later in life. 'We defined healthy ageing stringently: Not only surviving into older age, but doing so without major chronic disease, cognitive decline, physical disability, or poor mental health,' she said.
