{"id":444501,"date":"2026-05-12T06:08:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T06:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/444501\/"},"modified":"2026-05-12T06:08:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T06:08:09","slug":"fruit-and-a-hot-drink-every-day-could-be-the-key-to-aging-well-study-suggests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/444501\/","title":{"rendered":"Fruit and a hot drink every day could be the key to aging well, study suggests"},"content":{"rendered":"

Research presented at European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul suggests polyphenols found in berries, apples, coffee and tea protect our DNA from \u2018bad\u2019 aging<\/p>\n

22:01, 11 May 2026Updated 22:03, 11 May 2026<\/p>\n

\"berries\"<\/p>\n

Berries and greek yoghurt as a healthy breakfast option(Image: Getty Images\/Westend61)<\/p>\n

Eating fruit and a cup of tea or coffee every day could be the secret to healthy aging.<\/p>\n

A study has shown berries, apples, coffee, cocoa and tea are associated with a lower risk of \u201cshort telomeres\u201d – when the ends of our DNA are shorter, increasing the risk of cell death and unhealthy ageing.<\/p>\n

These contain compounds called polyphenols which protect against damage to our cells and the research, presented at this year\u2019s European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul<\/a>, found people who consumed most had a 52% lower risk of short telomeres.<\/p>\n

Shorter telomeres have been linked to higher risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and generally dying younger.<\/p>\n

\"Different<\/p>\n

Berries can to protect DNA from damage(Image: Getty)<\/p>\n

READ MORE: People who work longer more likely to be obese – experts call for four day week<\/a>READ MORE: Eating baked beans ‘could be key to avoiding a heart attack’<\/a><\/p>\n

Study author Isabella Kury Guzm\u00e1n, of the University of Navarra in Spain, said: \u201cA diet rich in polyphenols, including foods like fruits and coffee, may be one piece of the puzzle in supporting healthier cellular ageing.<\/p>\n

“This is not about one \u2018anti-ageing\u2019 food, but about the cumulative effect of everyday dietary choices over time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The research team measured the length of telomeres in samples from more than 1,700 adults in 2008 and also in 2015 and assessed participants’ total polyphenol consumption.<\/p>\n

Those who consumed a moderate amount of coffee on average – considered to be up to one cup per day – had a 26% lower risk of short telomeres compared to non-consumers.<\/p>\n

Four to five servings of fruit a day was also linked to a lower risk of unhealthy aging. Participants consuming the most fruit had a 29% lower risk of having short telomeres compared with those who ate the least.<\/p>\n

Professor Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, of King\u2019s College London, said: \u201cPolyphenols have been linked to a lower risk of age-related diseases, including heart disease and cognitive decline.<\/p>\n

Clinical studies show that consumption of these compounds can lower blood pressure<\/a> and support blood vessel and brain function as we age. Diets rich in polyphenols may support healthier ageing\u201d.<\/p>\n

Foods rich in polyphenols also known to have antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties which protect against diseases.<\/p>\n

Prof Gunter Kuhnle, nutrition expert at Reading University, said: \u201cBecause plant-based foods are the main source of polyphenols, it is very difficult to distinguish between whether that healthier ageing is due specifically to the polyphenols or the fact of eating a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables.”<\/p>\n

Sasha Watkins, registered dietitian and head of health at Mindful Chef, recommends a handful of berries with breakfast, a wider mix of herbs and spices when cooking, or having an extra portion of vegetables.<\/p>\n

She said: “The more colourful and varied your meals, the wider the range of good things you’re likely eating. But above all, the simplest message still stands: eat more plants.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Research presented at European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul suggests polyphenols found in berries, apples, coffee and tea…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":444502,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[493,499,103,3274,61,60,446,193391],"class_list":["post-444501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-diet","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-heart-disease","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-nutrition","tag-reading-university"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/444501","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=444501"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/444501\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/444502"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=444501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=444501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=444501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}