Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jun 28: That energising cup of coffee you rely on each morning may be doing more than just waking you up. A new study from the Queen Mary University of London has found that caffeine could help slow down the ageing process and promote longevity by interacting with a key cellular energy system.

While caffeine has long been associated with health perks—like lowering the risk of age-related diseases—this study provides fresh insights into how it works at the cellular level. Published in the journal Microbial Cell, the research highlights caffeine’s impact on AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase), a critical molecular pathway known as the body’s “fuel gauge.”

“AMPK is like an energy sensor for cells,” explained Dr Charalampos (Babis) Rallis, a senior author and geneticist at Queen Mary’s Centre for Molecular Cell Biology. “When energy is low, AMPK activates, helping the cells manage stress and maintain balance. Our study shows that caffeine helps activate this system.”

This mechanism is not exclusive to humans. AMPK is evolutionarily conserved across species—from yeast to people—which allowed researchers to use a yeast model to understand how caffeine modulates cell growth, DNA repair, and stress response—all of which are linked to ageing and disease.

Interestingly, AMPK is also the target of well-known longevity drugs like metformin and rapamycin, both being studied for their anti-ageing potential.

Dr John-Patrick Alao, the postdoctoral scientist who led the research, noted: “These results shed light on why caffeine might offer health benefits. They also open new doors to explore how we can replicate these effects through diet, lifestyle choices, or even future medications.”

In short, your daily dose of caffeine may be doing more than just fuelling your day—it could be quietly supporting your cells in the fight against time.