Description
Telomeres are long tandem nucleotide repeats responsible for maintaining chromosomal integrity. They shorten with each cell division, serving as markers for cellular aging and replicative ability, and shorter telomere length has been associated with greater risk of various chronic diseases of aging. There is increasing interest in the relationship between telomere length and lifestyle factors, such as components of the diet, that are associated with age-related chronic diseases, like cancer and diabetes.
There is mounting evidence that coffee, one of the most commonly consumed beverages in the world, has potential protective effects against chronic disease and mortality. Few studies have evaluated telomere length and coffee consumption specifically. A 2016 study in the Nurses’ Health Study1 found a significant association between coffee intake and longer telomeres. A study conducted within the NHANES cohort replicated these results by also showing a statistically significant positive association between coffee consumption and telomere length2. This study builds on the work exploring this association in another population. We consider the cross-sectional association between coffee consumption and leukocyte telomere length among controls from 6 case-control studies nested within a large population-based cohort of U.S. adults with detailed data on dietary intake and other lifestyle factors.
- Liu JJ, Crous-Bou M, Giovannucci E, De Vivo I. Coffee Consumption is Positively Associated with Longer Leukocyte Telomere Length in the Nurses’ Health Study. J Nutr 2016.
- Tucker LA. Caffeine consumption and telomere length in men and women of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Nutrition & Metabolism. 2017; 14:10.
Abstract
Coffee drinking and leukocyte telomere length: A meta-analysis
Telomeres are long tandem nucleotide repeats responsible for maintaining chromosomal integrity. They shorten with each cell division, serving as markers for cellular aging and replicative ability, and shorter telomere length has been associated with greater risk of various chronic diseases of aging. There is increasing interest in the relationship between telomere length and lifestyle factors, such as components of the diet, that are associated with age-related chronic diseases, like cancer and diabetes.
There is mounting evidence that coffee, one of the most commonly consumed beverages in the world, has potential protective effects against chronic disease and mortality. Few studies have evaluated telomere length and coffee consumption specifically. A 2016 study in the Nurses’ Health Study1 found a significant association between coffee intake and longer telomeres. A study conducted within the NHANES cohort replicated these results by also showing a statistically significant positive association between coffee consumption and telomere length2. This study builds on the work exploring this association in another population. We consider the cross-sectional association between coffee consumption and leukocyte telomere length among controls from 6 case-control studies nested within a large population-based cohort of U.S. adults with detailed data on dietary intake and other lifestyle factors.
- Liu JJ, Crous-Bou M, Giovannucci E, De Vivo I. Coffee Consumption is Positively Associated with Longer Leukocyte Telomere Length in the Nurses’ Health Study. J Nutr 2016.
- Tucker LA. Caffeine consumption and telomere length in men and women of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Nutrition & Metabolism. 2017; 14:10.