- New research found that drinking one to three cups of coffee a day was linked to better heart health.
- All benefits seemed limited to coffee with caffeine; Decaf was associated with a risk of heart failure.
- One researcher noted that the connections between coffee and heart health were still not as clear as, say, those of exercise.
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Science is once again supporting the health benefits of your daily dose of coffee.
Drinking at least one cup of coffee a day can reduce your risk of heart failure, with more coffee associated with an even lower risk, according to a survey published on February 9 in Circulation: Heart Failure, a journal of the American Heart Association.
The researchers analyzed data from three studies, including 21,000 adult participants over at least 10 years of follow-up. Data from two of the studies indicated that each cup of caffeinated coffee that participants drank daily was associated with a 5% to 12% lower risk of heart failure, compared with participants who did not drink coffee. That happened with up to three cups of coffee a day, the research found. The third study found a 30% lower risk of heart failure in those who drank at least two cups of coffee a day.
Decaffeinated coffee was not related to the same benefits, and one of the studies actually linked it to a higher risk of heart failure.
This suggests that caffeine would be at least partly responsible for any coffee benefits for heart health, according to Dr. David Kao, assistant professor of cardiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and senior author of the study.
“The association between caffeine and reduced risk of heart failure was surprising,” said Kao in a press release. “Coffee and caffeine are often considered by the general population to be harmful to the heart because people associate them with palpitations, high blood pressure, etc.”
Read More: Coffee drinkers have stronger bones than people who don’t drink a drink daily, according to a new study
The research is still not convincing enough to recommend that people who don’t drink coffee should start, based on health benefits, the researchers concluded. Particularly for heart health, the best advice is still to exercise, maintain a healthy weight and avoid smoking, Kao said in the press release.
If you drink coffee, black is better
It is not clear how much coffee can produce optimal health benefits – a limitation of this research is that it was based on self-reported data, without a clear definition of how much coffee people were drinking per cup. The researchers also did not collect data on the coffee preparation method; Previous research has found that methods like filter brewing can be healthier than stove or French press preparations.
What we do know is that many of the apparent benefits of coffee are associated with its pure consumption. Coffee in the form of sugary drinks or rich lattes is usually loaded with sugar and saturated fat. These additives can increase the risk of heart disease, mitigating any benefits from coffee.
“The end result: enjoy coffee in moderation as part of a heart-healthy eating pattern that meets the recommendations for fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or non-fat dairy products and which is also low in sodium and saturated fat and added sugars, “said Penny Kris-Etherton, a nutrition professor at Pennsylvania State University who was not involved in the study in the press release.
Coffee is associated with health benefits, such as a longer life and better health with age
This study contributes to a growing body of evidence that drinking coffee regularly can improve heart health and prevent premature death. It can also help promote weight loss, prevent cognitive decline as we age, and provide some protection against other chronic illnesses like liver disease and various types of cancer.
In addition to caffeine, coffee also contains beneficial plant compounds called polyphenols, which are linked to antioxidant and inflammatory-reducing effects.
Previous studies have indicated that coffee is safe and drinking it doesn’t seem to have any long-term side effects, especially if you drink less than five cups a day.