Credits: Social Media
Drinking three cups of coffee per day lowers heart disease risk, study finds
A new study has found that drinking three cups of coffee per day could actually lower your risk of heart disease.
This goes against previous ideas that caffeine drinks are bad for your heart health, so your daily habit might not be so bad after all.
Three cups of coffee per day lowers heart disease risk
The study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism analyzed over 360,000 caffeine drinkers without any history of cardiometabolic disease (CM) using data from the UK Biobank. Cardiometabolic disease was defined as having at least two of the following conditions at the same time: type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and stroke.
Researchers found those who drank a moderate amount of tea and coffee had the lowest risk of cardiometabolic disease compared to people who consumed less than 100 mg of caffeine per day. Particularly, those who drank three coffee drinks or 200-300mg of caffeine had the lowest risk for these common heart conditions.
Most people can consume up to 400 mg of caffeine a day without any harm, MedlinePlus reveals. An average 8-ounce cup of coffee contains 95-200 mg.
“Habitual coffee or caffeine intake, especially at a moderate level, was associated with a lower risk of new-onset CM,” the study concluded – but researchers said more studies are needed to validate the relation between caffeine intake and cardiometabolic disease.
A similar 2022 report found that 2-3 cups of decaffeinated, ground, and instant coffee per day were associated with reduced cardiovascular disease risk and death.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US and globally, joining dementia, stroke and lower respiratory infections in the top 10.
Too much coffee can have negative health effects
However, while consuming up to 400mg is generally considered safe, any more than this can have a negative impact on your heart and overall health.
Too much caffeine can increase your heart rate, cause heart palpitations and give you high blood pressure, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explains. Excessive tea, coffee and energy drinks can also cause insomnia, anxiety, jitters, upset stomach, nausea and headache in some people.
However, it’s important to remember it’s not just drinks that contain caffeine. Many foods including chocolate, chewing gum, ice cream and protein bars all have caffeine in too. Plus, many don’t realise that lots of decaffeinated coffees aren’t entirely caffeine-free and still contain small levels of the stimulant.
If you want an alternative to tea and coffee, a nutritionist has shared the best non-coffee drink to wake you up in the morning without any caffeine.
