Moderate Coffee Linked to Slower Cellular Aging in Mental Disorders

A new study has found that moderate coffee consumption may slow cellular aging in people with severe mental disorders, potentially adding years to their biological age. Researchers analyzed data from 436 Norwegian adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders or affective disorders, including bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder with psychosis, and discovered that drinking three to four cups of coffee daily was linked to longer telomeres, structures at the ends of chromosomes that serve as markers of cellular health.

The research, published in BMJ Mental Health, drew from the Norwegian Thematically Organised Psychosis study, which tracked participants between 2007 and 2018. Clinicians assessed diagnoses and medication use, while coffee intake was self-reported in categories: none, one to two cups, three to four cups, or five or more cups per day. Telomere length was measured from white blood cells, with adjustments for factors such as age, sex, ethnicity, smoking duration, and psychotropic medication dosage.

Results showed an inverted J-shaped pattern in the relationship between coffee intake and telomere length. Participants consuming three to four cups daily had the...