The drink that could lengthen your lifespan – and is linked to a lower risk of dementia, diabetes and heart disease

Drinking coffee might not only perk you up, it may even help you live longer, scientists suggest.

Experts found caffeine – the component of the morning favourite that gives it stimulating powers – influenced how cells grow, repair and respond to stress.

This, British researchers said, could provide some major potential benefits to longevity and explain how it wards off major killers like dementia, diabetes and heart failure.

In lab tests, the team found caffeine triggered cells to enter an energy restoration system scientists call AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase).

AMPK, an enzyme, acts similar to the fuel gauge in a car. When energy levels in a cell get too low, AMPK kicks in, triggering a series of reactions that help protect and repair it. 

Cells more able to access this system age slower, can repair DNA more effectively and respond better to stress, factors tied to combating ageing and disease. 

The team, from Queen Mary University, London, said this process could explain why  drinking coffee has been linked to a lower risk of serious health conditions and a prolonged lifespan.

Dr John-Patrick Alao, an expert in cell biology and lead scientist of the study, explained: ‘These findings help explain why caffeine might be beneficial for health and longevity.’

He added that the research also opened the door to developing drugs and therapies which could be used activate the same system in the future.

In the study, published in the journal Microbial Cell, the team analysed how a type of yeast with similar properties to human cells—responded to caffeine. 

The research is the latest to highlight the potential health benefits of coffee.

Earlier this month, US researchers found coffee lovers tended to have healthier hearts, putting them at lower risk of cardiac death. 

Experts from Tufts University, Boston found that people who drank between two and three cups of black coffee a day saw the most benefits, slashing their risk by almost a fifth. 

Other research has linked regular coffee consumption to a lower risk of depression, better liver health, improved weight loss and reduced odds of developing conditions such as type 2 diabetes and dementia. 

Scientists are still working to understand exactly how coffee achieves its health-boosting effects.

While some point to caffeine, others highlight how the drink is rich in polyphenols, natural plant compounds with antioxidant properties that protect cell health, as another potential mechanism.

But it’s not all good news for coffee lovers.

Other studies have linked coffee consumption to vision problems, increased risk of certain cancers and heart disease. 

The NHS itself warns Britons that consuming more than four cups a day could lead to a dangerous increase in blood pressure, increasing the risk of serious problems including heart attack, stroke and even dementia.

Experts have said part of the problem with unpicking the potential health benefits and risks of coffee consumption is the variety of ways people prepare and drink it.

Some studies have found particular risks and boons are linked to if the coffee is instant or freshly brewed or if it is filtered. 

Another complicating factor is what people have with their coffee – if they add sugar, milk or flavoured syrups as well as how many cups they have per day. 

Heart disease and dementia, two health conditions coffee may protect against, are some of biggest killers in Britain. 

Approximately 170,000 Britons die from heart and circulatory diseases combined per year in the UK, according to the British Heart Foundation.   

This is equivalent to about 480 fatalities per day or roughly a quarter of all deaths. 

The most recent data suggests 74,261 people died from dementia in 2022, making it the biggest killer by single cause of death.