Coffee as the new anti-ageing drink? Study offers a reality check with a hidden catch | Health

Espresso is extra than simply your common pick-me-up beverage. Opinions about it lie on a spectrum, with some giving it a foul rep, whereas others regard it as a saviour (largely for all-nighters). However espresso is a type of drinks the place the advantages lie in context, very similar to anything in life, actually. A current examine printed within the journal Microbial Cell on June 24, 2025, finds a center floor, showcasing once more how necessary context is for the advantages of one thing to take impact. This new examine places the favored beverage beneath a brand new gentle and the way it might assist with ageing, however there is a catch. Physician advises towards consuming espresso very first thing within the morning, as it might heighten stress and disrupt metabolism.(Pixabay) How espresso helps in ageing and cell longevity  Espresso is without doubt one of the drinks believed to have anti-ageing properties, however there is a catch.(Shutterstock) The analysis examine was performed by researchers at Queen Mary College of London. They needed to grasp whether or not caffeine may help cells reside longer and if it might probably help in repairing DNA harm. The aim of the examine was to evaluate the position of espresso past simply giving us an power increase. The analysis staff experimented on fission yeast. These are single-celled organisms however share primary similarities with human cells. The yeast cells had been uncovered to completely different sorts of stress, corresponding to an absence of vitamins. Then, the researchers launched caffeine to the yeast cells. The findings confirmed that caffeine did certainly prolong the lifespan of yeast cells, even beneath regular situations. The examine additional defined the organic reasoning behind this. Caffeine works by interacting with sure mobile pathways referred to as AMPK, that are helpful as a result of they assist cells reply to stress. However for caffeine to work, two proteins, Ssp1 and Ssp2, should be current, as with out them, caffeine’s profit doesn’t present. What is the draw back, then?Caffeine, the identical factor that helps with a cell’s ageing, can as a substitute trigger extra harm beneath one situation. If the cell already has broken DNA, caffeine could make issues worse. It interferes with the cell’s pure restore course of, stopping it from fixing itself correctly. So, what does this imply? Caffeine, even when it might have anti-ageing advantages, the wholesome results rely utterly on the inner situation of the cell. This serves as a reminder of why one shouldn’t blindly observe the anti-ageing drinks or meals with out actually understanding their physique sort. As what may go in a single context may very well backfire, worsening the very problem it’s meant to assist. Similar to how espresso’s impact will get nullified by DNA harm, understanding the physique’s inner context is necessary to figuring out whether or not one thing will assist or hurt. What may go for one might not work for another person. ALSO READ: Nutritionist shares 4 tips about how ladies with PCOS can get pleasure from espresso with out worsening signs Observe to readers: This text is for informational functions solely and never an alternative to skilled medical recommendation. All the time search the recommendation of your physician with any questions on a medical situation.