The short answer is maybe—but it’s more about how caffeine affects you than your age number.
After 50, a few body changes can make caffeine hit differently:
Why it might be worth cutting back
- Slower metabolism: Caffeine can hang around longer, so that afternoon coffee may mess with sleep more than it used to.
- Sleep sensitivity: Even small amounts later in the day can reduce deep sleep.
- Heart & blood pressure: Caffeine can raise both slightly—more noticeable if you already have hypertension or palpitations.
- Bone health (especially for women): Very high caffeine + low calcium intake can affect bone density.
- Anxiety & jitters: Some people notice more shakiness or irritability with the same old dose.
Why you might not need to
- Moderate caffeine (≈ 1–2 cups of coffee a day) is linked to benefits like better alertness and possibly lower risk of some chronic diseases.
- If you sleep well, feel calm, and your blood pressure is stable, there’s no automatic reason to quit just because you turned 50.
A good rule of thumb
Instead of “reduce because of age,” try:
Cap it at ~200 mg/day (about 2 small coffees)*
No caffeine after early afternoon (1–2 pm is a safe cutoff)
Pay attention to sleep, heart rate, anxiety, and digestion
Make sure you’re getting enough calcium + vitamin D
Bottom line:
If caffeine still loves you back, you don’t need to break up. If it’s stealing your sleep, making your heart race, or leaving you edgy—it’s probably time to scale down or shift earlier in the day.
*It is recommended not to exceed a daily intake of 400 mg of caffeine from all sources (200 mg for pregnant or breast-feeding women). A single dose of 200 mg caffeine should not be exceeded. (EFSA Journal 2015;13(5):4102. 2015)