How much coffee should the elderly drink? More than you think: read on

Get up and grind, coffee lovers, because it’s time to start brewing big.

The average American coffee drinker consumes about three 8-ounce cups a day every day, but they need to consume just one more cup of coffee to reap the life-enhancing benefits of bean juice, according to new findings.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Association of Medical Directors found that adults who consumed more caffeinated beverages were weaker and had significantly less physical function later in life.

Coffee and tea are staple beverages in many societies around the world, including Singapore. Our studies suggest that consumption of these caffeinated beverages in middle age may be associated with a reduced likelihood of frailty later in life.

Researchers analyzed data from 12,000 participants (based in Singapore and of Chinese descent) between the ages of 45 and 74 over 20 years, looking at diet, medical history, demographic characteristics, height, weight, energy levels, physical activity and sleep duration.

The main sources of caffeine among the people who participated in this study were coffee and tea, which accounted for 84% and 12% of the total caffeine, respectively. Of the participants who drank some coffee every day (68.5%), the vast majority stayed between one and three cups per day, while a much smaller number (4.9%) consumed four cups or more.

During face-to-face interviews, study technicians recorded the results of two critical physical assessments, a hand grip test and a balance exercise, to determine physical frailty and fall risk among elderly study volunteers.

According to the study methodology, frailty was defined by at least two of the following four characteristics: fatigue, weight loss of 10% or more between follow-ups, poor balance, and poor hand grip.

Based on their findings, the researchers were able to determine that drinking coffee, black tea, or green tea in middle age was “independently” associated with a greatly reduced risk of frailty later in life.

Additionally, those who drank four or more cups of coffee a day had a significantly reduced risk of frailty later in life compared to those who did not drink a cup of coffee a day. Those who drank black or green tea daily also showed a significantly higher chance of frailty than those who did not drink tea.

The researchers noted that more research is needed to find the specific ingredients that lead to the link between caffeinated beverages and physical weakness.

“Further studies are still needed to confirm this longitudinal association and to investigate whether these effects on physical weakness are mediated by caffeine or other chemical compounds,” Koh said.