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Caffeine (coffee)

2–4 cups of coffee a day track with 12–15% lower mortality in cohorts; caffeine pills aren't the same — coffee's polyphenols matter.

4/5· RCTs / large cohortsEstimated monthly cost: ≈ 15 €

Dose

2–4 cups of filtered coffee (the cafestol in boiled/Turkish coffee raises LDL); max 400 mg caffeine.

Timing

60–90 minutes after waking, last one by 2 pm (half-life 5–6 hours).

⚠ Cautions

Cut back with anxiety, reflux or untreated hypertension; max 200 mg in pregnancy.

What it is

An adenosine antagonist; coffee also carries chlorogenic acid and hundreds of compounds.

What the evidence shows

UK Biobank (n=498,134): 2–4 cups –12% mortality, decaf included. Cohorts: less type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's, fatty liver, depression. Mendelian randomisation is neutral on mortality — part of the effect may be lifestyle.

Goals

Energy, fatigueHealthy yearsBrain, memory

Sources

Loftfield E et al. Association of coffee drinking with mortality by genetic variation in caffeine metabolism – UK Biobank. JAMA Intern Med (2018) ↗

Last reviewed: 6 September 2026

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