{"id":15672,"date":"2025-06-26T07:14:13","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T07:14:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/15672\/"},"modified":"2025-06-26T07:14:13","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T07:14:13","slug":"could-drinking-instant-coffee-affect-your-vision-as-you-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/15672\/","title":{"rendered":"Could drinking instant coffee affect your vision as you age?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/coffee-eyes-Stocksy_txpbddd99f15v8400_Medium_1482314-Header-1024x575.jpg\" alt=\"coffee splashing from white cup\" class=\"css-1jytyml\"\/><a class=\"icon-hl-pinterest css-11oz8gb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" data-event=\"Any Page|Image Pinterest Click|Icon Clicked\" data-element-event=\"OPEN|CONTENTBLOCK|Any Page|Article Body|BUTTON|Image Widget Pinterest Click|\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.medicalnewstoday.com%2Farticles%2Finstant-coffee-age-related-macular-degeneration-risk&amp;media=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.post.rvohealth.io%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F3%2F2025%2F06%2Fcoffee-eyes-Stocksy_txpbddd99f15v8400_Medium_1482314-Header-1024x575.jpg&amp;description=Could%20drinking%20instant%20coffee%20affect%20your%20vision%20as%20you%20age%3F\" title=\"Share on Pinterest\" data-pin-custom=\"true\" data-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/coffee-eyes-Stocksy_txpbddd99f15v8400_Medium_1482314-Header-1024x575.jpg\">Share on Pinterest<\/a>Drinking instant coffee was correlated with macular degeneration in a new study. Image credit: Tamara Evsiukova\/Stocksy.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>About 200 million people around the world are living with the vision loss condition age-related macular degeneration (AMD).<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Of the two types of AMD, most people have dry AMD.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Past research shows there are several risk factors for AMD, including nonmodifiable factors such as genetics, and modifiable ones like eating a healthy diet. <\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>A new study has found that a combination of genetics and drinking instant coffee may increase a person\u2019s risk of developing dry AMD. <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/macular-degeneration-types\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">two types of AMD<\/a>, most people have dry AMD, where damage to the eye\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aao.org\/eye-health\/anatomy\/macula-6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\">macula<\/a> \u2014 an area located in the back of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aao.org\/eye-health\/anatomy\/retina-103\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\">retina<\/a> \u2014 happens naturally with age. Wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow in the back of the eye, harming the macula.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAMD is a leading cause of vision loss among the elderly in developed countries,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/scientific-contributions\/Siwei-Liu-2304745211\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\">Siwei Liu<\/a>, MD, a researcher in the Department of Ophthalmology for Shiyan Taihe Hospital at Hubei University of Medicine in China, told Medical News Today.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs there is currently no cure, identifying new modifiable factors is crucial for slowing disease progression, preserving vision, and improving patients\u2019 quality of life,\u201d Liu added.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Liu is the lead author of a new study published in the journal <a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/fsn3.70439\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\">Food Science &amp; Nutrition<\/a>, which has found that a combination of genetics and drinking instant coffee may increase a person\u2019s risk of developing dry AMD. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For this study, researchers first obtained coffee consumption data for more than 500,000 participants from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ukbiobank.ac.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\">UK Biobank<\/a> genome-wide association studies (GWAS) summary statistics. Scientists broke participants into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/325502\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">decaffeinated<\/a>, ground, and instant coffee consumption groups. <\/p>\n<p>Scientists also obtained both dry and wet AMD data for adults 50 and over from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finngen.fi\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\">Finngen GWAS dataset<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCoffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide and is rich in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/319728\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\">polyphenols<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/301506\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">antioxidants<\/a> that may offer neuroprotective effects,\u201d Liu explained.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cAt the same time, growing evidence shows that genetics influence dietary preferences. Studying the genetic predisposition to coffee consumption and its relationship with AMD risk may help reveal potential causal links between diet and eye diseases,\u201d the study author noted.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>At the study\u2019s conclusion, researchers identified an overlap between a person\u2019s genetic disposition towards drinking instant coffee and their risk for dry AMD. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Additionally, within this genetic correlation, scientists found that drinking instant coffee, compared to other types of coffee consumption, increased dry AMD risk by about sevenfold. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis genetic overlap suggests that there may be shared biological pathways or metabolic mechanisms connecting the preference for instant coffee with the risk of developing dry AMD,\u201d Liu said. \u201cIt provides new insight into AMD pathogenesis and offers a potential direction for personalized prevention strategies, such as gene-informed lifestyle interventions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Researchers stated they did not find any association between coffee consumption and wet AMD risk. <\/p>\n<p>For the next steps in this research, Liu said she and her team plan to validate the association in independent populations and conduct functional studies to explore whether the metabolic pathways linked to instant coffee consumption are directly involved in AMD pathophysiology. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe also aim to perform longitudinal cohort analyses to clarify the causal relationship between coffee intake and AMD progression,\u201d Liu added. <\/p>\n<p>MNT had the opportunity to speak with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gwsvision.com\/eye-doctors\/david-geffen-od\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\">David I. Geffen<\/a>, OD, FAAO, director of optometric and refractive services at the Gordon Schanzlin New Vision in La Jolla, CA, about this study. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis study finds an interesting association with instant coffee and AMD,\u201d Geffen, who was not involved in the research, commented. \u201cWith our population living longer, AMD is one of the leading disabilities in the senior population. Any change in lifestyle to minimize this risk is well worth exploring.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith the large increase in AMD seen in [the United States] it is important to continue with vital research in this area,\u201d he added. \u201cThe costs associated with caring and treating AMD patients it is worthwhile to find ways to minimize the risk associated with this disease.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Geffen said that while he found this research interesting, he would need to see a more direct association before he would tell patients not to drink instant coffee. <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow css-34gtoi\">\n<p>\u201cQuestions like how much instant were being consumed by those individuals with AMD. Also, is social economic class associated with this? Is there some lifestyle associated with the risk in these individuals? This is way too early to make large assumptions about instant coffee drinking.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>MNT also spoke with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.memorialcare.org\/providers\/benjamin-b-bert\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\">Benjamin Bert<\/a>, MD, a board-certified ophthalmologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, about this research, who shared that it fascinated him in two different ways. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cFirst the study demonstrates one of the future directions of medicine that we have been hearing about: directing care based off of someone\u2019s specific DNA risk profile,\u201d Bert, who was not involved in the research, explained. \u201cIn this study they found that people have a higher risk of dry AMD with certain genetic markers and consumption of instant coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhich brings the second fascinating part of the study, food as medicine,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow css-34gtoi\">\n<p>\u201cMore and more we are realizing how our food and drink choices can impact our overall health. This study once again points to the dangers of highly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/318630\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">processed foods<\/a>, like dehydrated instant coffee, compared to its more natural form of brewed coffee, which had no added risks.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u2013 Benjamin Bert, MD<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cWith additional research, it would be beneficial to know other foods that could be risks for these patients,\u201d Bert added. \u201cIs instant coffee the only food risk? Does the conclusion of this study apply to all highly processed foods?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Share on PinterestDrinking instant coffee was correlated with macular degeneration in a new study. Image credit: Tamara Evsiukova\/Stocksy.&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":15673,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[15713,815,15712,1182,159,67,132,68,15711],"class_list":{"0":"post-15672","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-genetics","8":"tag-coffee","9":"tag-genetics","10":"tag-macular-degeneration","11":"tag-nutrition","12":"tag-science","13":"tag-united-states","14":"tag-unitedstates","15":"tag-us","16":"tag-vision-loss"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114748435064349381","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15672","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15672"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15672\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15673"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15672"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15672"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15672"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}