Instant Coffee Shock: Could Your Daily Brew Be Blinding You?

You know that daily coffee ritual—whether you’re a frothy cappuccino aficionado or the simple Americano crowd—it’s practically sacred, right? But here’s a kicker for ya: what if your beloved brew could be throwing a serious wrench in your health plans? Nope, I’m not talking about cutting back on all your java fixes, just one sneaky culprit—instant coffee. A fresh-out-of-the-oven study in the Food Science and Nutrition journal warns that sipping those quick-mix sachets might jack up your odds of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a nasty eye condition that’s no joke. So, instant coffee lovers, maybe it’s time to ponder—could your convenient caffeine hit be messing with your vision down the line? Let’s dive in before you swear off your morning cup entirely. LEARN MORE

When it comes to coffee, whether you’re a cappuccino lover or an Americano stan, the chances are you’ll never go a day without one.

But while coffee just seems like a way of life for many of us, it turns out our brew of choice could potentially have a devastating impact on our health – at least that’s what one recent medical journal believes.

Before you go swearing off cups of joe altogether, it’s actually only one specific kind of coffee that seems to matter. Instant coffee drinkers, you might want to pay attention to this one…

A study published in the Food Science and Nutrition journal discovered that drinking instant coffee could potentially increase your risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a common condition that affects the middle part of your vision.

Instant coffee lovers, pay attention (Getty Stock Images)

More than 500,000 people in the UK Biobank were analysed by researchers, who discovered that those partial to an instant coffee, with a certain genetic predisposition, were 700 percent more likely to develop dry AMD.

While some people don’t experience symptoms with dry AMD, the condition can cause a slow and progressive loss of vision which cannot be cured. However, early detection of the condition can help dramatically slow its progression.

“This 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,” Dr. Siwei Liu, a researcher in the Department of Ophthalmology for Shiyan Taihe Hospital at Hubei University of Medicine in China, told Medical News Today.

“It provides new insight into AMD pathogenesis and offers a potential direction for personalised prevention strategies, such as gene-informed lifestyle interventions.”

Instant coffee could be having a huge impact on your health. (Getty Stock Images)

Genetics and age are, of course, big factors when it comes to these kinds of conditions, but lifestyle choices do still have an impact, from the diet we consume to how much we exercise or smoke. Now, a consideration can be made to how much coffee we drink.

AMD is currently one of the main causes of blindness among older people in developed countries, which he says stresses the point that lifestyle factors should be considered and well managed.

“Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide and is rich in polyphenols and antioxidants that may offer neuroprotective effects,” he continued.

“At 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.”

Lu and his team now plan to delve further into the findings by investigating other populations and digging deeper into metabolic pathways.

In the meantime, treat yourself to that fancy coffee.