When consumed in excess, coffee can be extremely harmful to our digestive system and the sleep cycle. In moderation, however, it can yield a wide range of benefits. Among these, according to a new study carried out by the American Heart Association, concerns cardiovascular health.
The study, which was published in the journal Circulation: Heart Failure, employed 21,000 American adults.
The sample was previously presented in the Framingham Heart Study (FHS), which has monitored your health since 1948. Before the end of the analysis, the researchers in the new report compared the FHS results with research documented in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC) and the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS).
After a 10-year follow-up, it was determined that participants who regularly consumed at least three cups of coffee per day reduced the risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack by one third. More discreetly, each cup of coffee reduces the risk of suffering a cardiovascular event by up to 12%.
The results survived with caffeine, specifically the antioxidants and plant chemicals found in caffeine that reduce inflammation in the body.
“The association between caffeine and reduced risk of heart failure was surprising,” said senior author Dr. David Kao, from the University of Colorado, in a press release.
“Coffee and caffeine are often considered by the general population to be ‘bad’ for the heart because people associate them with palpitations, high blood pressure, etc. . “
The results of the study on atherosclerosis concluded that drinking more than two cups a day reduces the risk of heart failure (HF) by about 30 percent. Strangely, decaffeinated coffee seemed to induce the opposite effect or no effect at all.
The best way to prepare coffee, with regard to health benefits, is to filter it and take it black without sugar.
“We have identified several dietary and behavioral risk factors for cardiovascular disease outcomes, including marital status, consumption of red meat, consumption of whole milk and consumption of coffee. Among these dietary variables, the increase in coffee consumption was associated with a decrease in the long-term risk of HF congruently in FHS, ARIC and CHS ”, wrote the authors in the new article.
“Higher coffee consumption was found to be associated with reduced risk of HF in the three studies. Further studies are needed to better define the role, possible causality and potential mechanism of coffee consumption as a potential modifiable risk factor for HF ”.
The above data has been corroborated by research conducted independently in the recent past. Up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine or the equivalent of four cups a day are routinely cited by academics as the safest daily value for healthy adults.
“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 / non-fat dairy products and which is also low in sodium and saturated fat and added sugars. In addition, it is important to be aware that caffeine is a stimulant and consuming too much can be problematic – causing nervousness and sleep problems ”, concluded the authors.
“The risks and benefits of drinking coffee have been topics of constant scientific interest due to the popularity and frequency of consumption worldwide. The studies that report associations with the results remain relatively limited due to inconsistencies in the evaluation of the diet and analytical methodologies, as well as inherent problems with self-reported dietary intake. “