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Association of caffeine, green tea and coffee consumption with mortality and disability among older adults

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2025

Daiki Watanabe Open the ORCID record for Daiki Watanabe [Opens in a new window] ,
Tsukasa Yoshida Open the ORCID record for Tsukasa Yoshida [Opens in a new window] ,
Hinako Nanri Open the ORCID record for Hinako Nanri [Opens in a new window] ,
Yuya Watanabe ,
Yosuke Yamada  and
Misaka Kimura
Daiki Watanabe*
Affiliation:
National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 7-6-8 Saito-Asagi, Ibaraki-city, Osaka 567-0085, Japan Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15 Mikajima, Tokorozawa-city, Saitama 359-1192, Japan National Institute of Health and Nutrition, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 3-17 Senrioka Shinmachi, Settsu-city, Osaka 566-0002, Japan Institute for Active Health, Kyoto University of Advanced Science, 1-1 Nanjo Otani, Sogabe-cho, Kameoka-city, Kyoto 621-8555, Japan
Tsukasa Yoshida
Affiliation:
National Institute of Health and Nutrition, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 3-17 Senrioka Shinmachi, Settsu-city, Osaka 566-0002, Japan Institute for Active Health, Kyoto University of Advanced Science, 1-1 Nanjo Otani, Sogabe-cho, Kameoka-city, Kyoto 621-8555, Japan Sports and Health Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai-city, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan Senior Citizen’s Welfare Section, Kameoka City Government, 8 Nonogami, Yasumachi, Kameoka-city, Kyoto 621-8501, Japan
Hinako Nanri
Affiliation:
National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 7-6-8 Saito-Asagi, Ibaraki-city, Osaka 567-0085, Japan National Institute of Health and Nutrition, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 3-17 Senrioka Shinmachi, Settsu-city, Osaka 566-0002, Japan
Yuya Watanabe
Affiliation:
National Institute of Health and Nutrition, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 3-17 Senrioka Shinmachi, Settsu-city, Osaka 566-0002, Japan Institute for Active Health, Kyoto University of Advanced Science, 1-1 Nanjo Otani, Sogabe-cho, Kameoka-city, Kyoto 621-8555, Japan Faculty of Sport Study, Biwako Seikei Sport College, 1204 Kitahira, Otsu-city, Shiga 520-0503, Japan
Yosuke Yamada
Affiliation:
National Institute of Health and Nutrition, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 3-17 Senrioka Shinmachi, Settsu-city, Osaka 566-0002, Japan Institute for Active Health, Kyoto University of Advanced Science, 1-1 Nanjo Otani, Sogabe-cho, Kameoka-city, Kyoto 621-8555, Japan Sports and Health Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai-city, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
Misaka Kimura
Affiliation:
Institute for Active Health, Kyoto University of Advanced Science, 1-1 Nanjo Otani, Sogabe-cho, Kameoka-city, Kyoto 621-8555, Japan Laboratory of Applied Health Sciences, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto-city, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
*
Corresponding author: Daiki Watanabe; Email: daikiwatanabe0319@gmail.com
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Abstract

Several epidemiological studies have shown that consumption of coffee and green tea is inversely associated with risks of death and disability; however, the relationship between caffeine consumption and these outcomes remains unclear. We examined these associations in Japanese older adults. This was a prospective study of 7708 adults (aged ≥ 65 years) recruited from the Kyoto–Kameoka study. Dietary intake was estimated using a validated FFQ. Caffeine consumption was classified into four categories. Disability and mortality data were collected between 15 February 2012 and 30 November 2016. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI of outcomes were calculated using multivariable Cox proportional hazard models. During the median 4·75-year follow-up period, a total of 593 deaths and 1379 disability incidents were recorded. After adjusting for confounders, caffeine consumption was inversely associated with the incidence of disability (< 100 mg/d: reference; 100–149 mg/d: HR, 0·91 (95 % CI 0·80, 1·04); 150–199 mg/d: HR, 0·84 (95 % CI 0·72, 0·99); ≥ 200 mg/d: HR, 0·75 (95 % CI 0·63, 0·89), Pfor trend = 0·001) but not all-cause mortality. High coffee consumption was inversely associated with mortality (≥ 3 cups/d: HR, 0·62 (95 % CI 0·43, 0·88)) and disability (≥ 3 cups/d: HR, 0·81 (95 % CI 0·65, 0·99)) compared with non-consumption. However, green tea consumption was not associated with mortality or disability. Caffeine and coffee consumption was inversely associated with disability and/or mortality. Further research is needed to clarify whether high caffeine intake is safe and effective for older adults.

Keywords

CaffeineFFQProspective cohort studyLong-term care insuranceDose–response relationship

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Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , First View , pp. 1 - 9
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© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Nutrition Society

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