Scientists from the National University of Singapore have discovered that "coffee and tea help maintain physical strength and the ability to engage in physical activity in old age." The Journal of the American Medical Directors Association states that "this study lasted for about 20 years and involved 12,000 participants aged 45 to 74 years. In the first phase of the experiment, participants were asked to fill out questionnaires to assess the amounts of high-caffeine tea and coffee they consumed, a chemical compound in the alkaloid class widely used as a stimulant. Participants also provided information about their social and demographic characteristics, health status, height and weight, dietary habits, physical activity level, and duration of sleep."
In the second phase (2006-2010), researchers asked participants to reveal what had changed in their weight and health status. During the third phase (2014-2017), they were asked to evaluate their health status, and based on that, researchers assessed the physical strength and mobility of the participants.
The results showed that "consumption of both black and green tea and coffee was significantly associated with a reduced risk of physical weakness in old age." Scientists explained that these beverages, in addition to caffeine, are rich in polyphenol compounds (plant pigments) that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is believed that "their health benefits, such as protection against diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and obesity, help coffee and tea drinkers remain active into old age."
