Coffee might be doing more than perking you up — it also could be helping your cells stay younger.
A new study from Queen Mary University of London reveals how caffeine may slow the aging process at the cellular level, by activating a built-in energy sensor found in both yeast and humans. The research, published in Microbial Cell, sheds light on why caffeine has long been linked to better health and reduced risk of age-related diseases.
“When your cells are low on energy, AMPK kicks in to help them cope,” said Dr. Charalampos Rallis, senior author of the study. “And our results show that caffeine helps flip that switch.”
AMPK (short for AMP-activated protein kinase) acts like a fuel gauge in cells. It’s the same system targeted by metformin, a common diabetes drug that’s being studied for its anti-aging potential. In this study, researchers showed that caffeine can trigger AMPK directly — supporting healthy cell growth, DNA repair and stress response.
Earlier work from the same team had shown that caffeine also interacts with TOR, another ancient growth regulator in cells. But this study, using fission yeast as a model, showed that AMPK activation may be a more direct pathway for caffeine’s anti-aging effects.
“These findings help explain why caffeine might be beneficial for health and longevity,” said lead researcher Dr. John-Patrick Alao. “And they open up exciting possibilities for future research into how we might trigger these effects more directly — with diet, lifestyle, or new medicines.”
Fission yeast may seem far removed from humans, but it shares many genetic pathways that help scientists study aging, stress and disease at the cellular level. While the study doesn’t mean your morning coffee is a miracle anti-aging treatment, it does offer a scientific clue to how one of the world’s most popular drinks might benefit long-term health.
This study was conducted at Queen Mary University of London with institutional research support.