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Life Tips 25/06/2025 14:01

Scientists issue an instant coffee warning, revealing a potential link to a d!sease that damag3s eyesight.

Read on for telltale signs of the common eye disease that affects over-50s
Drinking instant coffee may elevate the risk of developing a debilitating eye condition, recent research indicates.
The Hubei University of Medicine in China suggests that individuals at high risk for the disease should avoid instant coffee altogether.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a prevalent eye condition, typically affecting people in their 50s and beyond. While it does not cause total blindness, it can significantly impair daily activities such as reading and recognizing faces, with symptoms worsening over time without intervention.
The study analyzed genetic data from over 500,000 individuals and uncovered a statistically significant link between instant coffee consumption and the development of dry AMD, a form of the disease that damages vision. Interestingly, no such association was found for ground coffee or decaffeinated options.
“Our findings revealed a genetic correlation between instant coffee consumption and dry AMD,” said Siwei Liu, the lead author from Shiyan Taihe Hospital at Hubei University of Medicine’s Department of Ophthalmology. “Instant coffee may increase the risk of AMD, and reducing its intake could help prevent dry AMD. People at high risk of AMD should consider eliminating instant coffee from their diet.”
AMD is a leading cause of irreversible blindness, affecting nearly 200 million people worldwide. It is expected that the number will rise to 290 million by 2040. There are two main types of AMD: dry and wet. Dry AMD, which is more common, results from damage to the macula, an area of the retina that allows you to perceive shapes, figures, and fine details, caused by abnormal protein deposits. Wet AMD is rarer but progresses more rapidly.
“Epidemiological studies show that nearly 200 million people are affected by AMD worldwide, with the number projected to grow to 290 million by 2040,” the authors noted in Food Science and Nutrition. “Genetic factors are a significant contributor to the development of AMD. However, given the unclear disease mechanisms and the challenges in treatment, preventing disease progression and timely intervention are vital.”
While previous research has suggested that drinking coffee might lower the risk of AMD, this study provides a more nuanced analysis by distinguishing between different types of coffee. It highlights differences that were not apparent in earlier studies, pointing to potential biases in previous research.
“Our study presented a more detailed stratification of coffee types and yielded differing results, suggesting potential limitations in prior studies,” the researchers explained. Their findings revealed a possible genetic link between instant coffee consumption and both dry and wet AMD.
“Instant coffee consumption significantly increases the risk of AMD,” the researchers concluded. However, they also noted that their analysis does not prove a direct causal relationship between coffee consumption and AMD.
To conduct their research, the team used data from the UK Biobank, which included information about individuals' coffee consumption—whether it was instant, ground, or decaffeinated—as well as their health data, including diagnoses of AMD. The researchers performed a genetic analysis to determine whether genetic variants linked to coffee preferences were associated with AMD risk.
They found a significant genetic overlap between the predisposition for instant coffee consumption and the risk of developing dry AMD, suggesting shared genetic factors across the human genome. No such correlation was observed for ground or decaffeinated coffee.
The research did not find any link between coffee intake and the risk of wet AMD, but it did show that drinking instant coffee was associated with an increased risk of the disease, with the risk growing as instant coffee consumption increased.
The findings suggest that chemicals, additives, or byproducts found only in instant coffee—such as acrylamide and oxidized lipids—may contribute to the increased risk of dry AMD. These compounds are not present in freshly brewed coffee.
The study recommends that individuals with early-stage AMD or a genetic predisposition to the condition reduce their consumption of instant coffee and opt for ground coffee beans instead.

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