Do celebrities rely on drinking coffee to stay young? Can coffee really make people younger? The truth →

The sci-fi movie "The Wandering Earth 2" starring Andy Lau and Wu Jing was released. Recently, the two were guests on a show and talked about the shooting and their personal lives. When Andy Lau revealed that he drinks more than 20 cups of coffee every day, Wu Jing was shocked and asked jokingly: "Then did you get this 'frozen age' by drinking more than 20 cups of coffee?"

After hearing this, netizens said: I will drink coffee when I get home tonight.

The picture is from Weibo screenshot

Wait a minute, don't rush to follow suit. Not everyone can drink coffee, and even if you can, you should drink it in moderation. As for whether drinking coffee can keep you young and its other effects, let's take a look at what the research says.

Let me start with the conclusion: coffee is a little bit helpful for health, and may be a little bit helpful for "frozen age", but it is not advisable to drink too much, otherwise it may do more harm than good. As for the real secret of "frozen age", it is actually not mysterious at all, I will tell you at the end of this article.

01

Can drinking coffee help you stay young?

Maybe it really can be of some help.

When we are young, our skin is rich in collagen, which can maintain the stability of the dermis structure. However, as we age, the synthesis of Col1 (the most abundant protein in the body, produced by fibroblasts) by fibroblasts gradually decreases, causing the skin to gradually show signs of aging and increase wrinkles.

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In vitro studies have investigated the effects of black coffee extract on human skin. The results show that black coffee extract can promote the anabolism of Col1 and inhibit the synthesis of MMP-1, an enzyme that causes wrinkles on the skin . This can regulate the cell aging mechanism, regulate collagen metabolism, maintain the structural stability of collagen fibers and intercellular matrix, improve and repair skin wrinkles, and increase the firmness of the skin. Drinking black coffee in moderation is beneficial for delaying skin aging . [1]

Caffeine can also protect the skin from oxidative stress-induced aging by activating autophagy mediated by the A2AR/SIRT3/AMPK pathway.[2]

In addition, caffeine can prevent rosacea. People without acne on their faces will naturally look younger. A 2018 study involving 82,737 women found that there was a significant negative correlation between increased caffeine intake and the risk of rosacea. Long-term daily coffee drinking can reduce the incidence of rosacea . [3]

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The possible reasons are: caffeine has the effect of constricting blood vessels, regulating hormone levels, contains antioxidants that have immunosuppressive effects to alleviate symptoms, and has anti-inflammatory effects. Rosacea is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease.

It can be seen that drinking coffee every day is indeed beneficial to improving skin and can help you stay younger. Besides, drinking coffee also takes in water. The more coffee you drink, the more water you will indirectly replenish. Drinking enough water can prevent dry skin and make your skin more supple and smooth. However, coffee also has a diuretic effect, so remember to drink more water .

02

What are the benefits of drinking coffee regularly?

Coffee, a drink loved by so many people, has other benefits besides helping you stay younger.

1. Refresh your mind

The caffeine in coffee can cause central nervous system excitement and slight myocardial excitement, making people more clear-headed and energetic. It can temporarily relieve fatigue and improve work and study efficiency.

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2. Improve athletic performance and endurance

Because caffeine can stimulate central nervous system excitability, consuming caffeine before exercise can improve athletic performance, regardless of gender. Many studies have shown that consuming low to medium doses of caffeine 60 to 120 minutes before exercise is more effective in improving aerobic endurance. [4]

Caffeine can increase intracellular calcium concentration and enhance the excitation-contraction coupling effect, which is the most likely mechanism for improving strength and muscle endurance.

In 2021, the International Society of Sports Nutrition published a statement on the relationship between caffeine and exercise: Caffeine has been shown to significantly improve athletic performance, such as improving muscle endurance, muscle strength, speed, sprinting, jumping, and throwing performance. It has a positive effect on both aerobic and anaerobic exercise, and can also enhance the attention and vigilance of most people. [5]

When consumed at a dose of 3-6 mg/kg body weight, it can improve athletic performance, and a minimum of 2 mg/kg is effective. For example, a healthy adult weighing 60 kg can improve athletic performance by consuming 120 mg of caffeine, which is equivalent to about 1.5 cups of pure coffee (150 ml/cup).

In addition, caffeine can promote energy consumption and fat metabolism, which is helpful for weight loss .

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3. It may help prevent Parkinson’s disease

Foreign scientists have discovered that coffee contains 5-hydroxytryptamine. Animal experiments have shown that taking this substance in combination with caffeine can delay or prevent the development of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease (note that this is only an animal experiment). [6]

4. Prevent type 2 diabetes

The "Food and Health - Scientific Evidence Consensus" released by the Chinese Nutrition Society points out that drinking moderate coffee (about 1 to 2 cups of medium-sized American coffee per day) may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Some studies have also mentioned that chlorogenic acid and other phenolic compounds in coffee can inhibit glucose absorption and increase insulin sensitivity by interfering with glucose transport. In addition, coffee can also prevent diabetes by reducing body fat. [7] Compared with subjects who drink up to 2 cups of coffee a day, those who drink at least 4 to 6 cups of coffee a day have a relatively lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

However, if you want to prevent diabetes, remember not to add sugar when drinking coffee !

In addition, as to whether drinking coffee regularly can prevent cancer, a recent Australian study found that drinking coffee is not associated with cancer, and drinking coffee every day neither increases nor reduces the risk of cancer. [8]

03

What happens if you drink too much coffee?

Although drinking coffee regularly has many benefits to the body, it does not mean that the more coffee you drink, the better. Different people have different tolerance levels to coffee.

Drinking too much coffee can cause insomnia, palpitations, temporary increase in blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, yellowing of teeth, and increased calcium loss . In addition, drinking too much coffee is not good for cardiovascular health and can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, including increased blood cholesterol, increased blood pressure, and increased plasma homocysteine ​​levels. Homocysteine ​​has neurovascular toxicity and is closely related to the onset of Alzheimer's disease. [7]

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There is also research suggesting that high daily coffee consumption (five or more cups of caffeinated coffee per day) may increase the risk of gastric cardia cancer .[9]

In addition, it is best not to drink unfiltered coffee, because the cafestol and kahweol contained in it can increase serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (bad cholesterol) levels, thereby increasing the risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. [7]

04

How much coffee is safe to drink?

Since drinking too much coffee is harmful to your health, how much is safe?

The "Scientific Consensus on Coffee and Health" jointly released by the Institute of Nutrition and Health of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food Hygiene Branch of the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association and five other institutions recently recommended that the daily caffeine intake of ordinary adults should be controlled within 400 mg .

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This is equivalent to no more than 4 cups of pure coffee (150 ml/cup). If it is a small bag of 1.8~2 grams of instant coffee, the maximum amount per day is no more than 5 bags.

In addition, drinking coffee is not recommended for children and adolescents, the elderly, pregnant and breastfeeding people, people with hypertension, glaucoma patients, people with a genetic tendency to high intraocular pressure, and people with osteoporosis.

05

If you want to "freeze age", it is recommended to do this

Although there is some evidence that drinking coffee can delay aging, there is no need to drink a lot of coffee every day to "freeze your age". After all, excessive drinking is harmful to health. If you want to stay young, you can work harder on diet and exercise.

1. Diet

Eat more foods rich in vitamin C, high-quality protein and antioxidants. Recommended foods for vitamin C supplementation include winter dates, kiwis, oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, strawberries and papayas; recommended foods for high-quality protein supplementation include meat, eggs, milk and beans. For meat, it is recommended to consume more foods rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as salmon, anchovies, herring and other deep-sea fish; for antioxidants, it is recommended to eat more dark vegetables, such as broccoli, purple cabbage, Chinese cabbage, rapeseed, carrots, tomatoes, etc.

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2. Drink more water

Maintaining adequate water intake every day can delay aging and prevent chronic diseases. It is recommended that women drink at least 1500 ml and men drink 1700 ml every day.

3. Keep exercising

Exercise not only strengthens muscles and bones, but also accelerates blood circulation in the skin and promotes metabolism. Other studies have shown that exercise can achieve anti-aging effects by stabilizing telomere structure and delaying telomere loss. [10]

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06

Summarize

If you want to slow down aging, don't count on drinking coffee, after all, everyone has different tolerance levels to coffee. Some people may be fine with many cups, but some people can't stand even one or two cups.

If you want to stay young, the most important thing is to have a regular schedule and a balanced diet, don't count on "special effects food". Many people have good skin care, and with the help of medical cosmetics, they naturally look beautiful and young. In the new year, I wish everyone to be more and more beautiful!

References:

[1] Cui Liwen, Zhang Jialing. Effects of black coffee extract on collagen and aging-related genes in human skin fibroblasts[J]. Journal of Food Safety and Quality, 2019, 10(03): 710-714.

[2] Li YF, Ouyang SH, Tu LF, et al. Caffeine Protects Skin from Oxidative Stress-Induced Senescence through the Activation of Autophagy. Theranostics. 2018;8(20):5713-5730. Published 2018 Nov 10. doi:10.7150/thno.28778

[3] Li S, Chen ML, Drucker AM, et al. Association of Caffeine Intake and Caffeinated Coffee Consumption With Risk of Incident Rosacea in Women. JAMA Dermatol. 2018;154(12):1394-1400. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2018.3301

[4] Liu Yihong, Liang Rui. Research on the effect of caffeine on delaying human exercise fatigue and aerobic endurance[J]. Contemporary Sports, 2022(6):0129-0131

[5] Guest NS, VanDusseldorp TA, Nelson MT, et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: caffeine and exercise performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021;18(1):1. Published 2021 Jan 2. doi:10.1186/s12970-020-00383-4

[6] Scientists: Coffee contains substances that fight brain aging and may delay Parkinson's disease[J]. Journal of Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology, 2018, 18(12): 51.

[7] Zang Yanfen, Cao Yanan, Wu Xiaomei. Coffee intake and type 2 diabetes[J]. Occupation and Health, 2022, 38(03): 425-428+432. DOI: 10.13329/j.cnki.zyyjk.2022.0046.

[8] Australian study: No association between coffee drinking and cancer[J]. Journal of Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology, 2019, 19(07): 208.

[9] Martimianaki G, Bertuccio P, Alicandro G, Pelucchi C, Bravi F, Carioli G, Bonzi R, Rabkin CS, Liao LM, Sinha R, Johnson K, Hu J, Palli D, Ferraroni M, Lunet N, Morais S, Tsugane S, Hidaka A, Hamada GS, López-Carrillo L, Hernández-Ramírez RU, Zaridze D, Maximovitch D, Aragonés N, Martin V, Ward MH, Vioque J, Garcia de la Hera M, Zhang ZF, Kurtz RC, Lagiou P, Lagiou A, Trichopoulou A, Karakatsani A, Malekzadeh R, Camargo MC, Curado MP, Boccia S, Boffetta P, Negri E, La Vecchia C. Coffee consumption and gastric cancer: a pooled analysis from the Stomach cancer Pooling Project consortium. Eur J Cancer Prev. 2022 Mar 1;31(2):117-127. doi: 10.1097/CEJ.0000000000000680. PMID: 34545022; PMCID: PMC8972971.

[10] Peng Shuai, Qiu Fen, Li Shuangyan, et al. Exercise and anti-aging: the biological mechanism of exercise affecting telomeres[C]//. Proceedings of the 7th Guangzhou International Symposium on Sports and Health, 2022: 234-235. DOI: 10.26914/c.cnkihy.2022.037051.

Author: Xue Qingxin, member of Chinese Nutrition Society, registered dietitian, health manager, public nutritionist

Reviewer: Ruan Guangfeng, Director of Science and Technology Department, Kexin Food and Nutrition Information Exchange Center

This article is produced by Science Popularization China. Please indicate the source when reprinting.

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