Coffee Habits Hastening the Aging Process, According to a Dietitian

Even the time you consume your coffee can make a difference. 

You're not alone if you need a cup of coffee to get your day started. You're in the majority. According to the National Coffee Association, 62 percent of Americans use coffee daily. While coffee isn't necessarily harmful, a few poor behaviours can speed up the ageing process if you consume it in particular ways. 

We asked Lisa Moskovitz, RD, CEO of NY Nutrition Group, author of The Core 3 Healthy Eating Plan, what to avoid the next time you go out for coffee. 

1. Drinking coffee instead of eating breakfast. 

Many people believe that breakfast is the important meal of the day, therefore replacing coffee cannot be healthy for your general health. 

"Skipping this prime lunch time can lead to a less nutritious diet," according to Moskovitz, especially one that is harmful to good ageing. 

Instead of skipping breakfast in favour of coffee, Moskovitz recommends "a meal consisting of fresh fruit, healthy grains, and nuts or seeds" for a fibre- and antioxidant-rich breakfast. 

2. Take your coffee light and extra sweet.

If you prefer not to drink your coffee black and like to add creamers and sweeteners, be aware that the amount you add can impact your health. 

"It's fine to have moderate amounts of sugar in your diet," Moskovitz says, "but going overboard with sugar packets every time you need a pick-me-up may add up over time." 

As you get older, you may notice a significant increase in blood sugar, inflammation, and a variety of other health problems. 

3. Drinking coffee instead of water. 

Many people forget to drink water, but if you drink a lot of coffee, you're setting yourself up for dehydration and disaster when it comes to your overall health.

"Forgetting to chase your caffeine with water can lead to dehydration," according to Moskovitz, "which can severely influence your skin, digestion, energy levels, nutrition absorption, and even joints."

4 Drinking coffee throughout the day—and night. 

When it comes to when you should drink your coffee, try to keep it to the morning. Even if Caffeine doesn't keep you awake late at night, it's not a good idea to have a cup straight before bed. 

Moskovitz claims that "Caffeine is a stimulant that, if consumed too close to bedtime, will prevent you from getting enough rest. Poor sleep can have a negative impact on recovery, immunity, mood, energy, metabolism, and everything else."

5. Using artificial sweeteners. 

Here's the issue with artificial sweeteners: while it may seem like a brilliant idea to replace them with natural sugar in your coffee, they harm your long-term health. 

"Not only are [these sweeteners] nutritionally empty," Moskovitz says, "but non-nutritive sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame can damage insulin levels, gut health, which influences many key pathways in the body, and encourage you to crave more sweets throughout the day."