Pure coffee can be good for the heart, studies show

Pure coffee can be good for the heart, studies show

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Drinking one or more cups of pure leaded coffee a day was associated with a reduced long-term risk of heart failure, according to a diet data review from three major studies using analytical tools from the American Heart Association.

The benefit did not extend to decaffeinated coffee. Instead, the analysis found an association between decaffeinated coffee and an increased risk of heart failure.

Heart failure occurs when a weakened heart is unable to supply the body’s cells with sufficient blood to obtain the oxygen needed to keep the body functioning properly. People with heart failure suffer from fatigue and shortness of breath and have difficulty walking, climbing stairs or other daily activities.

“Although it is not possible to prove causality, it is intriguing that these three studies suggest that drinking coffee is associated with a decreased risk of heart failure and that coffee can be part of a healthy eating pattern if consumed pure, with no added sugar and high-fat dairy products, “said nutritionist Penny Kris-Etherton, immediate past chairman of the American Heart Association’s Cardiometabolic Health and Lifestyle Council Leadership Committee, in a statement. She was not involved in the research.

Mass data analysis

The study, published on Tuesday in the journal AHA Circulation: Heart Failure, analyzed self-reported dietary information from the original Framingham Heart Study. That study, which began in 1948, involved more than 5,000 people with no diagnosed heart disease who lived in Framingham, Massachusetts. The study followed these people and their descendants for 72 years over three generations.
The new study used state-of-the-art analytical tools from the AHA Precision Medicine Platform to compare Framingham data to the Community Atherosclerosis Risk Study, a longitudinal, multisite, biracial study, and the Cardiovascular Health Study, a study of 10 years -long cardiovascular risk study in adults over 65 years of age.

In all, the studies provided dietary information for more than 21,000 adult Americans.

Compared with people who did not drink coffee, the analysis found that the risk of heart failure over time decreased by between 5% and 12% for every cup of coffee consumed every day in the Framingham Heart and Cardiovascular Health studies.

The risk of heart failure remained the same for not drinking coffee or having a cup a day in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. But when people drank two or more cups of black coffee a day, the risk decreased by about 30%, the analysis found.

“The association between caffeine and reduced risk of heart failure was surprising,” said senior author Dr. David Kao, medical director of the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora.

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“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 consistent relationship between increased caffeine consumption and decreased risk of heart failure turns this assumption inside out, “said Kao in a statement.

A little caution

All of these studies were done by drinking pure coffee. However, many people add dairy products, sugars, flavors or non-dairy creams that are rich in added calories, sugar and fat. This probably negates any heart health benefits, warns the AHA.

Also be aware that, in most studies, a cup of coffee is only 8 ounces; the standard “large” cup in the cafeteria is double 16 ounces.

The healthiest way to prepare your coffee - and possibly prolong your life

The way you prepare coffee also has health consequences. Unlike filter coffee makers, a French press, Turkish coffee or boiled coffee popular in Scandinavian countries cannot catch a compound called cafestol in the oily part of the coffee. Cafestol can increase bad cholesterol or LDL (low density lipoproteins).

Caffeine can be dangerous if consumed in excess by certain populations, research shows. High levels of coffee consumption (more than 4 cups) during pregnancy were associated with low birth weight, premature birth and stillbirths in a 2017 study. For women most likely to have bone fractures, coffee increased this risk; the same was not true of men.
Previous studies have also suggested that people with sleep problems or uncontrolled diabetes should consult a doctor before adding caffeine to the diet.

And, of course, these benefits do not apply to children – children and adolescents should not drink soft drinks, coffee, energy drinks or other drinks with any amount of caffeine, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“The end result: enjoy coffee in moderation as part of a heart-healthy eating pattern that meets the recommendations of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat / non-fat dairy products and which is also low in sodium and saturated fat and added sugars, “said Kris-Etherton.

“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,” she said.

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