Coffee for longevity: TIMING makes the difference! ☕️
People often are confused about whether coffee is good for us or not, so I’m pleased to share with you coffee fans out there (me too!) that the research shows that coffee’s health outcomes are rarely anything but great!
It’s associated with a lower risk for several chronic diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases. It's even been shown to improve liver function, reduce depression, and enhance cognition.
But here’s a really weird nuance that comes from new research, which my nerdy science hero, Dr Rhonda Patrick, just highlighted:
Like many healthy habits, it turns out that the TIMING of when we drink coffee is the CRITICAL factor in how protective it is for our hearts and brains.
(…Haha, I’m always banging on to my clients about how important the timing of our habits is, not just the fact that we keep good habits; here’s another one that seems to really fit the bill!)
A recent study found that drinking coffee in the morning only was associated with a lower risk of dying from all-causes and cardiovascular disease…
BUT, drinking coffee in the afternoon and evening OR all day long was not!
(In other words, people who drank coffee in the morning, afternoon, and evening didn't experience the same risk reduction as those who enjoyed their coffee only in the morning.)
Specifically, the morning coffee drinkers had a 12% lower risk of all-cause mortality and an impressive 31% lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality compared to non-coffee drinkers over a 10-year period.
WOW!
Why only morning coffee?
We don’t understand this yet…but the circadian rhythm - or zeitgeiber - effect is super interesting!
We see different effects at different times of day with certain medications and incidents of health conditions (like heart attacks) too.
The body’s innate intelligence is wild!
Why is coffee so good for us?
Surprisingly, it's not the caffeine…
Among the morning drinkers, both types of coffee—decaf and caffeinated—were associated with a lower mortality risk.
For caffeinated coffee, the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality was 11% and 25% lower, respectively, among morning coffee drinkers compared to non-drinkers.
But actually, for DECAF coffee, the effect was even greater: risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality were 21% and 35% lower, respectively, compared to non-drinkers.
Surprisingly, neither caffeinated nor decaf coffee drinking was linked to a lower mortality risk among the "all-day drinkers."
Weirrrrd!
Also, yayyyyy for decaf benefits! I’m genetically very sensitive to caffeine so I’m a half-caf girl on weekday mornings, decaf on the weekends. :)
Why is coffee good for us?
These benefits are known to be largely due to the array of plant biochemicals it contains: it’s a rich source of antioxidants and polyphenols.
The antioxidants may play a role in preventing or delaying degenerative diseases…
While the polyphenols in coffee may inhibit DNA methylation, which prevents the downregulation of tumor suppressor proteins and DNA repair enzymes…
In other words, they help keep cellular repair and cancer prevention processes running smoothly.
Fascinatingly though, as per the article highlighted above, unlike most other foods and nutrients we know of, these benefits seem to depend on when it's consumed.
What the most beneficial* way to enjoy coffee?
In the morning
Caffeinated OR decaf (it's not about the caffeine! Double YAY!)
Around 1-3 cups per day (if caffeinated, about 100–300 mg of caffeine is good for most people, though genetics play a role - some people don’t do as well with it and /or are slow metabolizers (like me).
Watch the added garbage - sugars, syrups, fake sugars, etc. (See below.)
*Disclaimers:
Coffee type, additives and extra calories: it’s often consumed with sugar, cream, or even butter, which can contribute to excessive calorie intake and negate some of its potential health benefits. Highly processed coffee drinks (ie. flavored lattes and frappés) can contain HUGE amounts of sugar and nasty food additives too.
Low quality and conventional coffee (looking at you, Tim Hortons) also has more contaminants. Conventional coffee is among the most heavily chemically treated foods in the world. Some of these chemicals used are unstable in heat and dissipated by roasting, but others, like glyphosate, can linger. Additionally, the fact that North America has fairly lax standards for the Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) or Maximum Residue Limits of pesticides and herbicides in coffee beans compared to much of the world, does not help. Small-scale farmers that cultivate coffee on plots of land that are typically less than five hectares, generally do not use pesticides or at least not tons of these.The problem are large-scale farms, generally located in Brazil and Vietnam, who account for a disproportionate share of global production. Bottom line? Look for:- Certified organic coffee
- Coffee that comes from smaller farms
- Companies that test and share their pesticide testing is ideal
Unfiltered coffee has been shown to have a more detrimental impact on blood lipid and homocysteine (bad) levels than filtered coffee. This means not using a filter – a mesh or paper filter that the water passes through before draining into the pot. Techniques include French press, espresso, moka pot, and Turkish coffee.
Sleep disruption: Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that can interfere with sleep, even in those who consider themselves less sensitive. It’s worth trying out a wearable - like a watch or ring - to test this if you can since the half-life of caffeine varies a LOT among people (ie. between 2 - 10 hours in adults).
Pregnancy: High caffeine consumption has been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage and low birth weight. Caffeine is metabolized more slowly during pregnancy, leading to prolonged stimulant effects that may impact fetal development, plus caffeine metabolism is very poor in infants.
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