Scientists have learned about slowing down aging when drinking no more than four cups of coffee.

Moderate daily coffee consumption (no more than three to four cups) It can slow down cellular aging in people with severe mental disorders. Scientists have found that such a dose of coffee is associated with longer telomeres — markers of biological age — which corresponds to "minus five years" compared to those who do not drink coffee. This was reported on November 25 by Medical Xpress magazine.

It is emphasized that when consuming five or more cups of coffee a day, this effect disappeared. This is in line with the recommendations of international health services, which limit caffeine to 400 mg per day.

Telomeres are structures at the ends of chromosomes, similar to the plastic tips of shoelaces. They naturally shorten with age, but with serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, psychosis, and bipolar disorder, this process is accelerated. Since telomeres are sensitive to environmental factors, including nutrition, the scientists decided to test whether coffee could affect the rate of cellular aging.

The study involved 436 adults, 259 of whom were diagnosed with schizophrenia, and 177 with bipolar disorder or depression with psychosis. They were divided into four groups: those who consumed one to two cups of coffee a day, three to four mugs, more than five or zero. Smoking was also recorded separately — 77% of the participants were smokers with an average of ten years of experience.

When analyzing blood samples, it turned out that only consumption of up to three to four cups per day was associated with longer telomeres, while more than five cups had no effect. Those who drank four cups of coffee a day had telomeres that corresponded to their biological age by about five years younger, taking into account age, gender, ethnicity, smoking, diagnosis, and medication.

The authors emphasize that the work is observational in nature, that is, it does not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. The researchers had no data on the type of coffee, the level of caffeine, the method of preparation, or other caffeinated beverages.

However, there is a biological explanation that coffee is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that can protect telomeres.

"Telomeres are extremely sensitive to both oxidative stress and inflammation, which once again highlights how coffee consumption can help prevent cellular aging in humans, whose pathophysiology may predispose them to accelerated aging," explained the authors of the study.

At the same time, excess coffee can lead to the formation of reactive oxygen species and, conversely, accelerate telomere shortening. In this regard, the authors recalled that international guidelines limit caffeine to 400 mg per day, which corresponds to four standard cups.

On September 30, Maria Tolstova, a therapist at the SM Clinic, called less than 400 mg of caffeine per day an acceptable norm for health. According to the expert, excessive coffee consumption can worsen existing diseases of the cardiovascular or digestive system, lead to palpitations, and increase blood pressure.

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