A new study suggests that an extra cup of coffee may be the answer to keeping your body looking young and moving.
Recent research published in the European Journal of Nutrition claims that regular drinking of four to six cups of coffee per day is associated with a reduced risk of frailty.
The analysis was conducted over seven years, and 1,161 adults over the age of 55 were examined and their relationship with coffee was examined.
Their health was assessed using a model called the Five-Component Frailty Phenotype, which focuses on five key aspects of frailty – fatigue, slow walking speed, frailty, low physical activity and unwanted weight loss.
The results showed that coffee drinkers who regularly drank two to four cups a day improved in those areas.
Caffeine has always been known to have a number of positive dietary properties, including reducing fatigue and increasing alertness and improving muscle movement.
Around 95 million cups of coffee are drunk in the UK every day, whether from filter coffee machines at home, instant coffee beans or lattes and cappuccinos from the street.
Regular coffee drinkers are advised to choose a high-quality organic bean, meaning it is rich in polyphenols and has not been exposed to pesticides.
However, while coffee is said to enhance performance, experts do not recommend replacing it with regular exercise, stressing that it should only be used as a “support tool”.
Del Stanford, a nutritionist at the British Heart Foundation, added: “Drinking two or three cups of coffee a day may be associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than no coffee drinker. However, drinking more than four or five cups of coffee a day is likely to increase your caffeine intake above the recommended daily maximum (400-400 cups).
In general, the effects of too much caffeine may include temporary increases in blood pressure and heart rate, palpitations, anxiety, restlessness, nausea, headaches, and sleep disturbances.
Other foods may also help reduce weakness, including protein-rich foods such as eggs, dairy, lean meats, and legumes, as well as other foods rich in polyphenols, such as berries, dark chocolate, and olive oil.
“Fermented foods are also important for gut health (which boosts immunity) and colorful fruit and vegetables for their antioxidant content, all of which play a role in preventing frailty,” said nutritionist Nicola Ludlam-Rine.
