A long-term study in Singapore suggests that drinking coffee every day can have remarkable benefits for middle-aged and older adults.
According to Medical Xpress, the research—led by Professor Koh Woon Puay from the Healthy Longevity Translational Research Program at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine)—tracked 12,000 participants aged 45 to 75 for an average of 20 years.
The findings, published in the medical journal JAMDA, reveal that a daily habit of drinking coffee or tea helped participants maintain better physical resilience with age, making them stronger than peers who did not drink these beverages.
Researchers assessed the participants’ physical robustness using four key indicators:
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Significant weight loss
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Frequent exhaustion
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Slowness of movement
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Overall weakness (such as reduced hand-grip strength)
The surprising benefits were linked primarily to caffeine. In fact, 84% of the caffeine intake among volunteers came from coffee, 12% from tea, and the remainder from other drinks.
Caffeine consumption was classified into four levels based on the number of cups consumed daily:
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Non-drinkers
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1 cup per day
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2–3 cups per day
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4 cups or more per day
A similar four-level scale was used for tea drinkers:
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Never
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Once per month
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At least once per week
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Daily
Results showed positive effects whether participants drank coffee, black tea, or green tea, with the strongest impact seen among those who drank at least 4 cups of coffee a day.
Previous research has demonstrated that caffeine can stimulate muscle cell growth and improve muscle mass in animal studies. Maintaining muscle strength is crucial for staying healthy and active later in life.
Beyond caffeine, coffee and tea contain bioactive polyphenols, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, lowering the risk of a range of conditions including cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and some cancers.
The researchers conclude that these drinks are widely available around the world, making it easy to adopt this healthy habit. While more research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms, starting a routine of drinking a few cups of coffee or tea each day in middle age is a simple way to support long-term health and physical vitality.