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New research from Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences identifies a specific biological pathway that could help explain coffee’s health effects. The study, published in Nutrients, found that compounds in coffee activate a receptor in the body known as NR4A1, a protein linked to aging, stress response, and disease protection.

“Brain age-related diseases like dementia are a major health concern worldwide,” said Ashok Shetty of Texas A&M’s Institute for Regenerative Medicine, who led the research. “What we’re showing is brain aging can be reversed, to help people stay mentally sharp, socially engaged, and free from age-related decline.”

Would you like to be more optimistic? Your answer should probably be yes. You may think of optimism, especially in these dispiriting times, as Pollyannaish or naïve. But, it turns out, optimism is pretty much a superpower. Across decades, study after study has shown that optimism leads to longer lifespans, better health, and more success.