An extra cup of coffee may be the answer to keeping your body young and moving, a new study has found.
Recent research published in the European Journal of Nutrition claims that regularly drinking four to six cups of coffee a day has been linked with a reduced risk of frailty.
The analysis was carried out over seven years and surveyed 1,161 adults aged over 55, and examined their relationship with coffee.
Their health was evaluated using a model known as Fried’s Five-Component Frailty Penotype, which focuses on five key aspects of frailty - exhaustion, slow walking speed, weakness, low physical activity and unintentional weight loss.
The results found that coffee drinkers who regularly drank two to four cups a day saw an improvement in those areas.
Caffeine has always been known to have a number of dietary positives, which includes reducing fatigue and enhancing alertness, and improving muscle movement.
Around 95 million cups of coffee are drank each day in the UK, whether that be from filter coffee machines at home, instant coffee granules or takeaway lattes and cappuccinos from the high street.
Those who regularly consume coffee are recommended to choose a high-quality organic bean, meaning it will be rich in polyphenols and won’t have been subjected to pesticides.
However, while coffee has been purported to give a performance boost, specialists do not recommend substituting it for regular exercise, stressing it should only be used as a “support tool”.
Dell Stanford, a senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, adds: “Consuming two or three cups of coffee a day may be linked to lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to drinking no coffee. However, drinking more than four or five cups of coffee per day will probably raise your caffeine intake to above the recommended daily maximum of 400mg (4-5 cups).
“Generally, the effects of too much caffeine may include temporarily increased blood pressure and heart rate, palpitations, anxiety, agitation, nausea, headache, and sleep disturbance.”
Other foods may also help with frailty, including protein-rich foods like eggs, dairy, lean meat and legumes, as well as other foods rich with polyphenols such as berries and dark chocolate and olive oil.
“Fermented foods are also important for gut health (which supports immunity), and colourful fruits and veg for their antioxidant content, which all contribute to preventing frailty,” dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine said.
Scientists say walking 10,000 steps is a myth. Here’s how many you need
The easy diet found to cut painful inflammation
‘I’m 43, blind and stuck living in a lockdown with my parents’
First UK patient receives ‘game-changing’ ultrasound that destroys liver cancer
Study identifies the major downside of wearing a fitness tracker
Huge difference between side effects of different antidepressant drugs, study reveals
