New research finds that drinking 4-6+ cups of coffee daily may reduce frailty risk in older adults.
A new study published in the European Journal of Nutrition reports that regularly consuming 4 to 6 or more cups of coffee per day (with each cup defined as 125 ml) is associated with a lower risk of frailty in older adults. Funded by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC), this is the first study to specifically examine how coffee intake relates to the individual components that make up frailty.
Previous research has linked coffee consumption to a reduced risk of age-related conditions, such as cognitive decline and inflammation-related diseases. This new study builds on that foundation, investigating the long-term health effects of habitual coffee consumption in older populations.
Researchers conducted their analysis using data from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA), following 1,161 adults aged 55 and older over a seven-year period.
The relationship between coffee consumption and the presence and incidence of frailty was investigated. Frailty status was evaluated using Fried’s five-component frailty phenotype, which is defined by the presence of three or more of the following symptoms: weight loss, weakness, exhaustion, slow gait (walking) speed, and low physical activity.
Key Findings on Coffee and Frailty
The results of this study indicate that higher habitual coffee consumption is associated with lower overall odds of frailty. These findings can be considered alongside the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) scientific opinion that up to 400mg of caffeine (3-5 cups of coffee) per day is a moderate and safe amount.
The researchers explain that coffee’s effect on reducing frailty can partly be attributed to the role of antioxidants in coffee, which may help to reduce inflammation, sarcopenia (muscle loss), and prevention of muscle damage. Coffee may also help to improve regulating insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake in older people.
The study’s lead author, Margreet R. Olthof, Associate Professor at the Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, commented: “Drinking coffee is a key part of many people’s daily routine, and as people age they are constantly looking for ways to maintain their health. Our findings highlight the possible beneficial association between daily coffee consumption and reduced risk of frailty in later life in the older population. Coffee consumption may thus enhance healthy aging, but it is important we also explore further dietary interventions, to ensure older adults can continue to live fulfilling lives.”
Reference: “Habitual coffee consumption and risk of frailty in later life: the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA)” by Mette van der Linden, Hanneke A.H. Wijnhoven, Laura A. Schaap, Emiel O. Hoogendijk and Margreet R. Olthof, 24 April 2025, European Journal of Nutrition.
DOI: 10.1007/s00394-025-03683-0
The research was funded by The Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee.
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11 Comments
Maybe being frail firstly hinders their ability to pick up a coffee
Reminds me of those unbiased cannabis studies.
Funded by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee.
Hmmm. Yeah.
Tea has more caffeine per volume than coffee so maybe drinking 3+ cups of tea would have the same effect and there would be fewer trips to the loo. Or maybe because it’s an issue of frailty, to just encourage elderly to get up and walk around a bit more.
The study did not claim that caffeine
created the desired effects, so the
quantity of caffeine in tea is a moot
point. And by the way,coffee has
between 95 and 200 milligrams of
caffeine. black tea has between
14 and 70 milligrams of caffeine.
Your claim was incorrect.
“The research was funded by The Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee.” So this is a biased sales pitch for coffee. There are also many causes of frailty that would lead people to not consume coffee, since people may need to avoid caffeine. Caffeine is a potent psychoactive drug and has many physiological impacts, so people with, for example, heart disease may avoid it, and these people may be more prone to frailty due to their health condition. In addition, if the alleged therapeutic effect of coffee is due antioxidants, this study should have controlled for other antioxidants in the diet, such as vit. C and all the foods that provide that. What other nutritional supplements were these people taking? What drugs? What other lifestyle factors were contributing to the need for more antioxidants, such as smoking, or living in a polluted environment, or being exposed to certain toxins?
There is also a selection bias in that this study looked at older people who are habitual coffee drinkers. Selection bias means that these older people survived this lifestyle habit, while others who drank coffee habitually may have died or become ill and needed to stop. So this group of old coffee drinkers is not typical of all coffee drinkers, having selected out those who could not deal with coffee.
All said, this is a sales piece with some research design issues.
Correct. In example, Warren Buffer tells the media
he drinks 5 cans of Coca Colas a day but he also
owns many shares of Coca Cola stock. All that
sugar and caffeine? 20 years from now we’ll be told
that 1 glass of Moon Water a day is the key to
amazing health.
A cup or two is fine. 4+ cups sounds like pushing it too far.
Oh, stop. Every day is another study telling us to drink more, drink less, decaffeinated, no cream, cream, dark, light. It’s getting ridiculous. Drink however you like it and appreciate it. That’s how you live longer and healthier.
Excellent advice Anthony!
Amazing!!! The daily 4+ cup till kidney stones and constant need of caffeine as a dopamine hit when not supplied is everything I’ve wanted to be advised!
drink as much as you can handle, for the last 55yrs every coffee study has been proven wrong.