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- New research has found that drinking one to three cups of coffee a day is linked to better heart health.
- All the benefits seemed limited to caffeinated coffee; decaf was linked to a risk of heart failure.
- One researcher noted that coffee’s links to heart health were not yet as clear as, say, those of exercise.
- Visit the Insider home page for more stories.
Science once again supports the health benefits of your daily dose of coffee.
Drinking at least one cup of coffee a day could lower your risk of heart failure, with more coffee linked to an even lower risk, according to a study published Feb. 9 in Circulation: Heart Failure, a journal of the American Heart. Association.
The researchers looked at 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 per day was linked to a 5% to 12% lower risk of heart failure, compared to participants who did not drink coffee. . This was true for up to three cups of coffee a day, according to research. The third study found a 30% lower risk of heart failure in those who drank two or more cups of coffee per day.
Decaffeinated coffee was not linked to the same benefits, and one of the studies actually linked it to a higher risk of heart failure.
This suggests that caffeine is at least partially responsible for coffee’s heart health benefits, according to Dr. David Kao, assistant professor of cardiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, lead author of the study.
“The association between caffeine and reduced risk of heart failure was surprising,” Kao said 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.”
Read more: Coffee drinkers have stronger bones than people who don’t drink a daily brew, new study finds
The research is not yet compelling enough to recommend people who don’t drink coffee to start, based on the health benefits, the researchers concluded. Especially for heart health, the best advice is to exercise, maintain a healthy weight, and avoid smoking, Kao said in the press release.
If you drink coffee, black is best
It’s unclear how much coffee could produce the optimal health benefits – one limitation of this research is that it relied on self-reported data, with no clear definition of how much coffee consumed per cup. The researchers also did not collect data on how the coffee was brewed; Previous research has shown that methods like filter brewing can be healthier than preparing on a stovetop or in the French press.
What we do know is that many of the apparent benefits of coffee have to do with drinking it plain. Coffee in the form of mixed sweetened drinks or rich lattes is often loaded with sugar and saturated fat. These additives could increase the risk of heart disease, mitigating the benefits of coffee.
“Bottom Line: Enjoy coffee in moderation as part of an overall heart-healthy diet that meets recommendations for fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, and is also low in sodium and saturated fat, and added sugars, ”Penny Kris-Etherton, professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University who was not involved in the study, said in the press release.
Coffee is linked to health benefits like longer life and better health with age
This study adds to a growing body of evidence that drinking coffee regularly could improve heart health and prevent premature death. It could also help promote weight loss, prevent cognitive decline with age, and provide some protection against other chronic conditions like liver disease and several types of cancer.
In addition to caffeine, coffee also contains beneficial plant compounds called polyphenols, which are linked to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
Previous studies have indicated that coffee is safe and that it doesn’t seem to have long term side effects, especially if you drink less than five cups a day.
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