What Coffee Does to Your Cells
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Forget wrinkle creams and superfoods, the secret to anti-aging may already be in your kitchen.
Scientists at Queen Mary University of London have discovered that caffeine could be nudging your cells toward a longer, healthier life.
Published in the journal Microbial Cell, the new study sheds new light on caffeine's surprising ability to influence how our cells respond to stress and energy shortages, factors long associated with ageing and disease.
Using 'fission yeast', a single-celled organism that mirrors many of the inner workings of human cells, the research team found that caffeine doesn't just wake you up—it also stimulates the body's "fuel guage", AMPK.
AMPK—or AMP-activated protein kinase—is a protein found in almost every cell that helps manage your energy. This system helps cells adapt when energy levels dip, regulating growth, stress responses and even DNA repair.
A file photo of creamer being poured into coffee.
A file photo of creamer being poured into coffee.
Michelle"Caffeine helps flip that switch," explained paper author and Queen Mary geneticist Babis Rallis in a statement. He added: "And this switch, AMPK, is a key player in how cells manage aging."
AMPK is already of interest to researchers. Metformin, one of the most widely prescribed drugs for type 2 diabetes, also activates AMPK, and is gaining attention for potential lifespan-extending effects.
This new link between caffeine and AMPK could mean that habitual coffee drinkers have better stress resistance and cell turnover.
So, does this mean that coffee is inherently good for you?
Rallis told Newsweek: "Ancient Greeks had the saying 'pan metron ariston'. This means 'everything in moderation'. We discuss caffeine, not coffee, a beverage that contains hundreds of different compounds—after all Coke contains caffeine, but would not give very favorable advice regarding its consumption.
"Certainly caffeine and coffee has been shown to have beneficial effects in many organs and contexts, in moderation. There are adverse effects too though, when consumption is high. The aim is to hit the sweet spot. Get benefits without detriments," Rallis explained.
A few years ago, another team found that caffeine can help cells live longer by acting on a growth regulator called TOR (Target of Rapamycin). TOR acts like a biological switch that tells cells when to grow, based on how much food and energy is available.
The team found that caffeine doesn't just nudge this biological switch—it significantly influences it, mimicking a state of nutrient scarcity even when food is present. This tricks cells into slowing their growth, reducing stress, and activating longevity pathways.
Do you have a tip on a health story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about caffeine? Let us know via health@newsweek.com.
References
Alao, J.-P., Kumar, J., Stamataki, D., & Rallis, C. (2025). Dissecting the cell cycle regulation, DNA damage sensitivity and lifespan effects of caffeine in fission yeast. Microbial Cell, 12(1), 141–156. https://doi.org/10.15698/mic2025.06.852
Rallis, C., Codlin, S., & Bähler, J. (2013). TORC1 signaling inhibition by rapamycin and caffeine affect lifespan, global gene expression, and cell proliferation of fission yeast. Aging Cell, 12(4), 563–573. https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.12080
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