Does coffee actually help you live longer?

I know this topic is super broad and honestly depends on a million different variables, but I’m curious to hear about what you guys have actually seen play out in real life.

Take a look around—think about the people in your lives, whether they're still with us or not. Compare those who were constant coffee drinkers to the ones who never touched the stuff.

Do you think the coffee lovers actually had longer lifespans?

For me, looking back at my late grandmothers, aunts, and the rest of my family, I’ve noticed a pattern: the women who lived on coffee seemed to stick around longer and, frankly, accomplished a lot more in their lives. (I have to admit, the men in my family barely drank it, so I don't really have a baseline for comparison on that side.)

What’s your take? Any patterns you've noticed? 🙂

I’ll be honest, I hadn't even considered that. Now I'm actually curious to see what kind of insights we end up digging up.
In my family, my dad and I are the absolute biggest caffeine addicts.
We both live for 😁 .

Well... it’s not exactly a rule, but coffee usually comes paired with a cigarette—at least in my family—so I wouldn't exactly say they're living longer...😁
I honestly can't remember a single person in my family who doesn't drink coffee, so I don't really have anything to compare it to—as of right now, we all drink it, and I guess we'll just see how it plays out...😉

How do you think coffee drinkers actually get ahead in life? Like, what kind of connection could there possibly be?😕

Melissa Torres81 said:Well... it’s not exactly a rule, but coffee and a cigarette usually go hand in hand (at least in my family), so I wouldn't say they live any longer.😁
I honestly can't think of anyone in my family who *doesn't* drink coffee, so I don't really have a control group to compare them to. Right now, we all drink it, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it plays out.😉

Ugh, yeah. That whole cigarette thing is definitely not my vibe. Most of the women I know don't smoke (I know, sounds crazy, but it's true). So, I'm mostly "targeting" those women who try to live super healthy lives but still grab a couple of coffees a day just to get that adrenaline spike.

Melissa Torres81 said:What makes you think coffee drinkers actually achieve more in life? How does that even relate?😕

I didn't say they achieve more *exclusively* because of the caffeine. I'm just wondering if coffee is one of the contributing factors. I really just started this thread to see if there was any kind of pattern here. But in my experience, people who skip the coffee tend to sleep more, which makes their lives feel less dynamic, maybe making them a bit more passive when it comes to chasing goals. Coffee is a stimulant for both the body and the brain. But hey, that's just my two cents. 😁

Amanda Lee31 said:Honestly, looking back at my late grandmas, aunts, and all that extended family, I’ve realized the women who actually sat down for coffee lived longer and crushed it way more in life.

So yeah, I'm looking at a bright and very long future ahead of me.😁

crimsonpuma48 said:I have to admit, I hadn't really given it much thought. I’m actually curious to see what kind of insights we pull from this.
In my family, my dad and I are definitely the biggest caffeine addicts.
We both have tons of 😁.

Were grandparents coffee drinkers? And if they were, how was their health—like, how long did they actually live?
One of my grandmothers didn't touch coffee at all; she had pretty poor health and passed away around 65. My other grandmother, who was a regular coffee drinker, stayed much more active and lived until she was 78. To be clear, I'm not claiming coffee is the main driver of longevity here, I'm just trying to connect some dots.🙂

Btw, I actually started this same thread over in the women's corner, so feel free to swing by there and check out everyone else's experiences.😉

I don't think coffee is the last thing that'll take me out... sure, it's bad for you and messes with your blood pressure, but as far as actually cutting your life short? I don't see the link...
But hey, based on what you're saying... maybe you'll be sticking around this planet for a long, long time...😍 😍 🎉 sounds like you've got a way with words😘

I seriously doubt either of our grandmas were sipping actual coffee back in the day. If they were drinking anything remotely similar, it was probably just chicory—basically brown water that looks like coffee but isn't.
In this part of the country, decent coffee wasn't even a staple until about 25 years ago.
If you’re young enough, go ask your mom about the old days when things like coffee, laundry detergent, and gas were actually hard to find.
Back then, if anyone was drinking coffee, it was out of those tiny little espresso cups. Personally, I don't touch anything less than a heavy pour now.
People used to be way more active, too. Even if it was just sprinting to catch a city bus or a subway.
Our parents, and their parents before them, didn't grow up stuffing themselves with processed junk loaded with additives, dyes, pesticides, GMOs, preservatives, and flavor enhancers.
That’s why I feel like all this medical progress won't actually make us live much longer. Sure, life might be higher quality, but that’s got nothing to do with coffee.
Heading over to the women's lounge 🙂

Is this some kind of PhD thesis 😕?
Look, I don't wake up in the morning just to sip coffee. I get out of bed because I have to get to work, and I grab my first cup there just so I can actually keep my eyes open. After that, it’s one cup after another until my break.
My caffeine intake stays exactly the same whether it's a workday or the weekend.
Take today, for example—I knocked back a literal liter of coffee, and my big "productive" activity was just brewing it and chugging it while staring at my computer and the TV. ☕.

And I don't even drink coffee 😲, so what's my life expectancy going to look like? 🤔

enigma said:I don't even drink coffee 😲, so what's my life expectancy gonna be? 🤔

Based on that logic, pretty damn short 🙄.
Plus, you aren't gonna accomplish anything in this life if coffee isn't pumping adrenaline through your veins.

There's always the backup plan where you pivot to being a full-time barista ☕🙂
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P.S. My adrenaline usually spikes from a massive pile of unfolded laundry and 🙂

Poor me 😢, heading down to a local dive bar to drown my sorrows...

enigma said:poor me 😢, off to some dive bar to drown my sorrows...

And she's making record time doing it...🙂
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🙂

Hey, I’ve got a massive pile of laundry that needs ironing, you down to help out a little? 😁

slyranger72 said:it’s true that it can be harmful and affects blood pressure

If someone has low blood pressure and coffee actually helps bump it up, I don't see why that would necessarily make it bad, provided you aren't drinking it by the gallon.

Honestly, there’s been endless research on how coffee hits the system, and even experts can't seem to agree. You'll find one study claiming it prevents cancer cells from forming, then another saying something else entirely. Look, I’m no doctor, so I'm not making any grand claims here. I’m just curious about your own little data sets—how long do you all actually live when you're caffeine addicts?

slyranger72 said:but as far as whether it actually shortens or lengthens your lifespan... there's nothing...

Could be. My "research" is strictly based on common sense and vibes.
🤣

crimsonpuma48 said:I drink the exact same amount of coffee whether I'm working or just chilling. For example, today I downed an entire liter, and my big "activity" was basically just brewing it and sipping it while staring at my computer and the TV ☕.

That’s an interesting way to look at it, crimsonpuma48.

But honestly, I wouldn't just say coffee gives us a physical kick; it’s a total mental boost too. So even if you were just sitting there in front of a screen, it doesn't mean your brain wasn't running a mile a minute thanks to those caffeine levels.

A whole liter in one day though? Hmm... 🙄 I don't know, that sounds like way too much for me. If I drank that much, I'm pretty sure I'd lose my mind and start acting like a complete psycho 😱. Though, at that point, maybe you've just built up a massive tolerance.

By the way, I should probably mention that I'm not really a caffeine addict myself. I only reach for it when I'm absolutely exhausted or when I need that extra mental spark to get things moving.

crimsonpuma48 said:The only thing that gets my adrenaline pumping is a massive pile of unfolded laundry and 🙂

🤣 🤣 🤣 👍

crimsonpuma48 said:I honestly doubt either of our grandmas were actually drinking real coffee back in their day. If they were sipping on something that looked like coffee, it was probably just chicory—which, let's be honest, has absolutely zero connection to actual coffee besides looking the part.

Spot on. I’m right there with you. Our grandmas didn't even touch coffee until they hit their 80s—basically halfway through their lives. But our moms? They've been fueled by caffeine since they were kids.

As far as chicory goes, I’m pretty sure it doesn't even have caffeine in it.

crimsonpuma48 said:Coffee used to be such a luxury around here, like, even just twenty-five years ago. If you’re part of that younger generation, seriously, go ask your mom about the days when things like coffee, laundry detergent, or even gas were hard to come by. It was a whole different world. Back then, if people actually sat down for coffee, it was served in those tiny little espresso cups—which is hilarious to me now, because honestly, am I the only one who can't function unless I'm pouring at least an eight-ounce mug?

Look, I’m not exactly a spring chicken, alright? Of course I remember those tiny little espresso cups—they were everywhere. My grandmother was actually still using hers just two years ago. Nowadays, I pretty much exclusively serve coffee in small cocoa mugs (about a cup), but hey, I guess I’m already drifting off-topic. 😬

My grandmother used to have coffee every single day, usually just twice a day... which was actually moderate, considering she went through much heavier phases when she was younger. She lived a remarkably long life 🙂
. But looking back at the older women I know, they were all relatively moderate coffee drinkers too, so I don't buy the idea that longevity is directly tied to it 🙂
. As for me, I rarely touch the stuff unless it's an exception... I stick strictly to decaf 🙂
.

I wouldn't necessarily go as far as saying coffee is inherently healthy, other than being a stimulant that helps people shake off the morning fog. The fact that regular coffee drinkers tend to have longer life expectancies might actually be linked to other factors:

- Coffee consumption is quite common among office workers and those in various white-collar professions. My guess is that these individuals, beyond just drinking more coffee, generally prioritize their health more than manual laborers, who might lean more toward beer.

So, I suspect the demographic groups expected to live longer are simply the ones more inclined toward coffee rather than other habits. That doesn't mean they’re living longer specifically because of the caffeine, though...