Study illuminates caffeine’s longevity effects at the cellular level

A new paper reveals caffeine might play a role in slowing down the aging process at a cellular level — by tapping into an ancient cellular energy system. The study of fission yeast — a single-celled organism “surprisingly similar” to human cells — found that caffeine helps cells sustain life. 

Caffeine has long been linked to potential health benefits, including reduced risk of age-related diseases. But the researchers say until now, how it works inside our cells, and what exactly are its connections with nutrient and stress responsive gene and protein networks has remained a mystery.

A few years ago, the same research team found that caffeine helps cells live longer by acting on a growth regulator called TOR (“Target of Rapamycin”). TOR is a biological switch that tells cells when to grow, based on how much food and energy is available.

This switch has been controlling energy and stress responses in living things for over 500 million years.

New research suggests caffeine helps cells age slower by activating their internal energy sensor, rather than directly influencing their growth.In the latest study, the scientists discovered caffeine doesn’t act on this growth switch directly. Instead, it works by activating another important system called AMPK, a cellular “fuel gauge” that is evolutionarily conserved in yeast and humans.

“When your cells are low on energy, AMPK kicks in to help them cope,” explains the study’s senior author, Dr. Charalampos Rallis, a reader in Genetics, Genomics and Fundamental Cell Biology at Queen Mary University of London. “And our results show that caffeine helps flip that switch.”

Caffeine’s effects at the cellular level

Interestingly, AMPK is also the target of metformin, a common diabetes drug that’s being studied for its potential to extend human lifespan together with rapamycin, backed by advocates including longevity influencer Bryan Johnson and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Using their yeast model, the researchers showed that caffeine’s effect on AMPK influences how cells grow, repair their DNA, and respond to stress — all of which are tied to aging and disease.

“These findings help explain why caffeine might be beneficial for health and longevity,” says Dr. John-Patrick Alao, the postdoctoral research scientist leading this study. 

“And they open up exciting possibilities for future research into how we might trigger these effects more directly — with diet, lifestyle, or new medicines.”

The study findings are published in the journal Microbial Cell.

Previous research has spotlighted caffeine’s effects on human life quality, particularly for infants. A Rutgers Health study revealed that it may protect babies by preventing dangerous drops in oxygen that can cause death. Sudden Unexpected Infant Death is the leading cause of infant deaths between one and 12 months old.