In terms of longevity, three cups of decaf coffee appeared to be just as protective as three cups of regular coffee.
Does Coffee Help Boost Autophagy and Lifespan?
Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
When food is scarce, our body detects this lack of nutrients and shifts into conservation mode, turning up the process of autophagy, from the Greek auto, meaning self, and phagy, meaning to eat. Autophagy means, quite literally, eating yourself. Autophagy plays two major roles: nutrient recovery (breakdown products re-entering cellular metabolism) and quality control (the removal of superfluous, damaged, or dangerous components).
In the modern context of not just sufficient food, but an excess of it, our baseline rate of autophagy is low, and slips down even further as we get older. A decline in autophagic capacity with age has been described in almost all animals analyzed, including humans. Autophagy appears to not only be necessary for life extension, but also, in some cases, sufficient for increasing longevity. Boosting autophagy alone can lengthen lifespan in mice by an average of 17 percent, as well as improve their healthspan. No wonder autophagy is at the forefront of so much longevity research.
The most reliable way to kick autophagy into high gear may be to eat less food altogether. But there is a downside to caloric restriction. Starving yourself, as was understated in a major review, “generates discomfort.” There is, however, something we can consume that induces autophagy that many people find comforting: coffee.
We’ve long known that alcohol consumption causes liver inflammation, but an unexpected finding was made by a group of Norwegian researchers back in 1986: coffee consumption was associated with less liver inflammation. Subsequent studies conducted around the world replicated these results. In the United States, for example, those at risk for liver disease who drank more than two cups (475 ml) of coffee a day appeared to have less than half the risk of developing chronic liver disease as those who drank less than one cup. The fact that regular coffee consumption seems protective against the development of fatty liver disease gave researchers an idea. Since autophagy plays such an important role in clearing fat out of the liver, the researchers tested to see whether caffeine might have cell-cleansing properties.
Indeed, it was found to be a potent autophagy stimulant. So, does coffee or caffeine extend the lifespan of model organisms like yeast and worms? Yes … and yes … In mice, coffee rapidly triggered autophagy within hours at a human-equivalent dose, and decaffeinated coffee worked just as well. The autophagy-promoting properties of coffee were independent of the caffeine content. Both regular and decaf also had similar anti-aging effects on another aging pathway in mice. But what about in people?
A systematic review of the health impacts of coffee on liver diseases concluded that “daily coffee consumption should be encouraged” in patients with chronic liver disease. But if coffee enhances autophagy, shouldn’t its benefits extend to a wide range of diseases? Well, coffee intake is also associated with lower risk of kidney disease, along with reduced risk of conditions as varied as gout, Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes, and skin cancer. Decaf was also associated with a range of potential health benefits. The results are all the more remarkable given that many of the studies may have failed to adequately control for smoking and unhealthy food intake, both of which tend to go along with coffee drinking. So, coffee drinkers appeared to be healthier even despite their tendency for less wholesome habits. Does all of this translate into living longer? Apparently so.
We only have observational research on coffee and mortality in humans, but, to date, more than twenty studies around the world following more than ten million individuals over time have found that those drinking three cups (720 ml) of coffee a day had 13 percent lower risk of death. If practiced throughout adulthood, that would be expected to translate into approximately one extra year of life.
In terms of longevity, three cups of decaf appeared to be just as protective as three cups of regular coffee, so it’s not the caffeine. This is supported by data showing the longevity link regardless of whether people were slow or fast metabolizers of caffeine. If it’s not the caffeine, then what was it? Coffee contains more than a thousand bioactive compounds. The polyphenol chlorogenic acid is the most abundant antioxidant in coffee beans, so researchers started there and found it was indeed able to enhance autophagy in cultured human cells. So which brands and types of coffee have the most of this autophagy-boosting compound? We’ll find out next.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- Tschachler E, Eckhart L. Autophagy - how to control your intracellular diet. Br J Dermatol. 2017;176(6):1417-1419.
- Pietrocola F, Bravo-San Pedro JM. Targeting autophagy to counteract obesity-associated oxidative stress. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021;10(1):102.
- Cuervo AM. Calorie restriction and aging: the ultimate “cleansing diet.” J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2008;63(6):547-549.
- Madeo F, Zimmermann A, Maiuri MC, Kroemer G. Essential role for autophagy in life span extension. J Clin Invest. 2015;125(1):85-93.
- Pyo JO, Yoo SM, Ahn HH, et al. Overexpression of Atg5 in mice activates autophagy and extends lifespan. Nat Commun. 2013;4:2300.
- Wong SQ, Kumar AV, Mills J, Lapierre LR. Autophagy in aging and longevity. Hum Genet. 2020;139(3):277-290.
- Pietrocola F, Malik SA, Mariño G, et al. Coffee induces autophagy in vivo. Cell Cycle. 2014;13(12):1987-1994.
- Lotersztajn S, Riva A, Wang S, Dooley S, Chokshi S, Gao B. Inflammation in alcohol-associated liver disease progression. Z Gastroenterol. 2022;60(1):58-66.
- Arnesen E, Huseby NE, Brenn T, Try K. The Tromsø Heart Study: distribution of, and determinants for, gamma-glutamyltransferase in a free-living population. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 1986;46(1):63-70.
- Saab S, Mallam D, Cox GA, Tong MJ. Impact of coffee on liver diseases: a systematic review. Liver Int. 2014;34(4):495-504.
- Ruhl CE, Everhart JE. Coffee and tea consumption are associated with a lower incidence of chronic liver disease in the United States. Gastroenterology. 2005;129(6):1928-1936.
- Dranoff JA. Coffee as chemoprotectant in fatty liver disease: caffeine-dependent and caffeine-independent effects. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2023;324(6):G419-G421.
- Ray K. Liver: Caffeine is a potent stimulator of autophagy to reduce hepatic lipid content--a coffee for NAFLD? Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013;10(10):563.
- Sinha RA, Farah BL, Singh BK, et al. Caffeine stimulates hepatic lipid metabolism by the autophagy-lysosomal pathway in mice. Hepatology. 2014;59(4):1366-1380.
- Czachor J, Miłek M, Galiniak S, Stępień K, Dżugan M, Mołoń M. Coffee extends yeast chronological lifespan through antioxidant properties. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(24):9510.
- Sutphin GL, Bishop E, Yanos ME, Moller RM, Kaeberlein M. Caffeine extends life span, improves healthspan, and delays age-associated pathology in Caenorhabditis elegans. Longev Healthspan. 2012;1:9.
- Takahashi K, Yanai S, Shimokado K, Ishigami A. Coffee consumption in aged mice increases energy production and decreases hepatic mTOR levels. Nutrition. 2017;38:1-8.
- Kanbay M, Siriopol D, Copur S, et al. Effect of coffee consumption on renal outcome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical studies. J Ren Nutr. 2021;31(1):5-20.
- Grosso G, Godos J, Galvano F, Giovannucci EL. Coffee, caffeine, and health outcomes: an umbrella review. Annu Rev Nutr. 2017;37:131-156.
- Thomas DR, Hodges ID. Dietary research on coffee: improving adjustment for confounding. Curr Dev Nutr. 2020;4(1):nzz142.
- Li Q, Liu Y, Sun X, et al. Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption and risk of all-cause mortality: a dose-response meta-analysis of cohort studies. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2019;32(3):279-287.
- Spiegelhalter D. Using speed of ageing and “microlives” to communicate the effects of lifetime habits and environment. BMJ. 2012;345:e8223.
- Poole R, Kennedy OJ, Roderick P, Fallowfield JA, Hayes PC, Parkes J. Coffee consumption and health: umbrella review of meta-analyses of multiple health outcomes. BMJ. 2017;359:j5024.
- Loftfield E, Cornelis MC, Caporaso N, Yu K, Sinha R, Freedman N. Association of coffee drinking with mortality by genetic variation in caffeine metabolism: findings from the uk biobank. JAMA Intern Med. 2018;178(8):1086-1097.
- Gao LJ, Dai Y, Li XQ, Meng S, Zhong ZQ, Xu SJ. Chlorogenic acid enhances autophagy by upregulating lysosomal function to protect against SH-SY5Y cell injury induced by H2O2. Exp Ther Med. 2021;21(5):426.
Motion graphics by Avo Media
Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
When food is scarce, our body detects this lack of nutrients and shifts into conservation mode, turning up the process of autophagy, from the Greek auto, meaning self, and phagy, meaning to eat. Autophagy means, quite literally, eating yourself. Autophagy plays two major roles: nutrient recovery (breakdown products re-entering cellular metabolism) and quality control (the removal of superfluous, damaged, or dangerous components).
In the modern context of not just sufficient food, but an excess of it, our baseline rate of autophagy is low, and slips down even further as we get older. A decline in autophagic capacity with age has been described in almost all animals analyzed, including humans. Autophagy appears to not only be necessary for life extension, but also, in some cases, sufficient for increasing longevity. Boosting autophagy alone can lengthen lifespan in mice by an average of 17 percent, as well as improve their healthspan. No wonder autophagy is at the forefront of so much longevity research.
The most reliable way to kick autophagy into high gear may be to eat less food altogether. But there is a downside to caloric restriction. Starving yourself, as was understated in a major review, “generates discomfort.” There is, however, something we can consume that induces autophagy that many people find comforting: coffee.
We’ve long known that alcohol consumption causes liver inflammation, but an unexpected finding was made by a group of Norwegian researchers back in 1986: coffee consumption was associated with less liver inflammation. Subsequent studies conducted around the world replicated these results. In the United States, for example, those at risk for liver disease who drank more than two cups (475 ml) of coffee a day appeared to have less than half the risk of developing chronic liver disease as those who drank less than one cup. The fact that regular coffee consumption seems protective against the development of fatty liver disease gave researchers an idea. Since autophagy plays such an important role in clearing fat out of the liver, the researchers tested to see whether caffeine might have cell-cleansing properties.
Indeed, it was found to be a potent autophagy stimulant. So, does coffee or caffeine extend the lifespan of model organisms like yeast and worms? Yes … and yes … In mice, coffee rapidly triggered autophagy within hours at a human-equivalent dose, and decaffeinated coffee worked just as well. The autophagy-promoting properties of coffee were independent of the caffeine content. Both regular and decaf also had similar anti-aging effects on another aging pathway in mice. But what about in people?
A systematic review of the health impacts of coffee on liver diseases concluded that “daily coffee consumption should be encouraged” in patients with chronic liver disease. But if coffee enhances autophagy, shouldn’t its benefits extend to a wide range of diseases? Well, coffee intake is also associated with lower risk of kidney disease, along with reduced risk of conditions as varied as gout, Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes, and skin cancer. Decaf was also associated with a range of potential health benefits. The results are all the more remarkable given that many of the studies may have failed to adequately control for smoking and unhealthy food intake, both of which tend to go along with coffee drinking. So, coffee drinkers appeared to be healthier even despite their tendency for less wholesome habits. Does all of this translate into living longer? Apparently so.
We only have observational research on coffee and mortality in humans, but, to date, more than twenty studies around the world following more than ten million individuals over time have found that those drinking three cups (720 ml) of coffee a day had 13 percent lower risk of death. If practiced throughout adulthood, that would be expected to translate into approximately one extra year of life.
In terms of longevity, three cups of decaf appeared to be just as protective as three cups of regular coffee, so it’s not the caffeine. This is supported by data showing the longevity link regardless of whether people were slow or fast metabolizers of caffeine. If it’s not the caffeine, then what was it? Coffee contains more than a thousand bioactive compounds. The polyphenol chlorogenic acid is the most abundant antioxidant in coffee beans, so researchers started there and found it was indeed able to enhance autophagy in cultured human cells. So which brands and types of coffee have the most of this autophagy-boosting compound? We’ll find out next.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- Tschachler E, Eckhart L. Autophagy - how to control your intracellular diet. Br J Dermatol. 2017;176(6):1417-1419.
- Pietrocola F, Bravo-San Pedro JM. Targeting autophagy to counteract obesity-associated oxidative stress. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021;10(1):102.
- Cuervo AM. Calorie restriction and aging: the ultimate “cleansing diet.” J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2008;63(6):547-549.
- Madeo F, Zimmermann A, Maiuri MC, Kroemer G. Essential role for autophagy in life span extension. J Clin Invest. 2015;125(1):85-93.
- Pyo JO, Yoo SM, Ahn HH, et al. Overexpression of Atg5 in mice activates autophagy and extends lifespan. Nat Commun. 2013;4:2300.
- Wong SQ, Kumar AV, Mills J, Lapierre LR. Autophagy in aging and longevity. Hum Genet. 2020;139(3):277-290.
- Pietrocola F, Malik SA, Mariño G, et al. Coffee induces autophagy in vivo. Cell Cycle. 2014;13(12):1987-1994.
- Lotersztajn S, Riva A, Wang S, Dooley S, Chokshi S, Gao B. Inflammation in alcohol-associated liver disease progression. Z Gastroenterol. 2022;60(1):58-66.
- Arnesen E, Huseby NE, Brenn T, Try K. The Tromsø Heart Study: distribution of, and determinants for, gamma-glutamyltransferase in a free-living population. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 1986;46(1):63-70.
- Saab S, Mallam D, Cox GA, Tong MJ. Impact of coffee on liver diseases: a systematic review. Liver Int. 2014;34(4):495-504.
- Ruhl CE, Everhart JE. Coffee and tea consumption are associated with a lower incidence of chronic liver disease in the United States. Gastroenterology. 2005;129(6):1928-1936.
- Dranoff JA. Coffee as chemoprotectant in fatty liver disease: caffeine-dependent and caffeine-independent effects. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2023;324(6):G419-G421.
- Ray K. Liver: Caffeine is a potent stimulator of autophagy to reduce hepatic lipid content--a coffee for NAFLD? Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013;10(10):563.
- Sinha RA, Farah BL, Singh BK, et al. Caffeine stimulates hepatic lipid metabolism by the autophagy-lysosomal pathway in mice. Hepatology. 2014;59(4):1366-1380.
- Czachor J, Miłek M, Galiniak S, Stępień K, Dżugan M, Mołoń M. Coffee extends yeast chronological lifespan through antioxidant properties. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(24):9510.
- Sutphin GL, Bishop E, Yanos ME, Moller RM, Kaeberlein M. Caffeine extends life span, improves healthspan, and delays age-associated pathology in Caenorhabditis elegans. Longev Healthspan. 2012;1:9.
- Takahashi K, Yanai S, Shimokado K, Ishigami A. Coffee consumption in aged mice increases energy production and decreases hepatic mTOR levels. Nutrition. 2017;38:1-8.
- Kanbay M, Siriopol D, Copur S, et al. Effect of coffee consumption on renal outcome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical studies. J Ren Nutr. 2021;31(1):5-20.
- Grosso G, Godos J, Galvano F, Giovannucci EL. Coffee, caffeine, and health outcomes: an umbrella review. Annu Rev Nutr. 2017;37:131-156.
- Thomas DR, Hodges ID. Dietary research on coffee: improving adjustment for confounding. Curr Dev Nutr. 2020;4(1):nzz142.
- Li Q, Liu Y, Sun X, et al. Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption and risk of all-cause mortality: a dose-response meta-analysis of cohort studies. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2019;32(3):279-287.
- Spiegelhalter D. Using speed of ageing and “microlives” to communicate the effects of lifetime habits and environment. BMJ. 2012;345:e8223.
- Poole R, Kennedy OJ, Roderick P, Fallowfield JA, Hayes PC, Parkes J. Coffee consumption and health: umbrella review of meta-analyses of multiple health outcomes. BMJ. 2017;359:j5024.
- Loftfield E, Cornelis MC, Caporaso N, Yu K, Sinha R, Freedman N. Association of coffee drinking with mortality by genetic variation in caffeine metabolism: findings from the uk biobank. JAMA Intern Med. 2018;178(8):1086-1097.
- Gao LJ, Dai Y, Li XQ, Meng S, Zhong ZQ, Xu SJ. Chlorogenic acid enhances autophagy by upregulating lysosomal function to protect against SH-SY5Y cell injury induced by H2O2. Exp Ther Med. 2021;21(5):426.
Motion graphics by Avo Media
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Does Coffee Help Boost Autophagy and Lifespan?
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Content URLDoctor's Note
This video is the first in a three-part series. Stay tuned for The Healthiest Way to Drink Coffee and Who Should Avoid Coffee?.
For more on longevity, go to your local public library and check out my book, How Not to Age, available in print, e-book, and audio. (All proceeds I receive from the book are donated directly to charity.)
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