A man drinking coffee, which is good for your health (Image: Getty)
Sipping on a couple of cups of coffee each day might just be the secret to a longer life, burgeoning research suggests. This beloved global pick-me-up not only perks up the heart but also appears to play a role in enhancing overall longevity.
Indeed, the drink is said to confer benefits on both the hale and hearty and individuals grappling with cardiovascular conditions. In an unprecedented study, over 400,000 Brits were observed for more than ten years.
Professor Peter Kistler from the esteemed Baker Heart Institute in Melbourne, Australia, who headed the study, remarked: “Because coffee can quicken heart rate, some people worry that drinking it could trigger or worsen certain heart issues. This is where general medical advice to stop drinking coffee may come from.”
However, Professor Kistler went on to clarify the positive aspects of the beverage, stating, “But our data suggest that daily coffee intake shouldn’t be discouraged, but rather included as a part of a healthy diet for people with and without heart disease. We found coffee drinking had either a neutral effect-meaning that it did no harm-or was associated with benefits to heart health.”
It seems the magic number lies between two to three cups per day. Individuals within this consumption window showed a 10 to 15 percent lower danger of being afflicted by coronary heart disease, succumbing to congestive heart failure, encountering cardiac arrhythmias, or meeting a premature demise from any cause, reports Gloucestershire Live.
This striking contrast was noted in comparison to those who abstain from coffee entirely. Coffee beans aren’t just your ordinary bean; they come loaded with an arsenal of over 100 salubrious plant-based compounds.
These little wonders work in tandem to alleviate oxidative stress, tone down inflammation, and enhance both insulin sensitivity and metabolic function, Prof Kistler elucidated.
The biologically active compounds in coffee not only block fat absorption in the gut but also combat molecules that can lead to abnormal heart rhythms. Surprisingly, those who indulged in less than two cups or more than three cups of coffee didn’t fare as well health-wise.
Yet, it’s the moderate coffee drinkers who seem to hit the sweet spot, with the risk of stroke or heart-related death being lowest among those who savoured just one cup a day. Coffee consumption has also been linked to a reduced mortality rate in individuals diagnosed with an arrhythmia, such as an irregular heartbeat.
Take AFib (atrial fibrillation) sufferers, for instance; their risk of death plummeted by nearly 20 percent compared to non-coffee drinkers when they enjoyed a daily cup. Prof Kistler weighed in on the debate: “Clinicians generally have some apprehension about people with known cardiovascular disease or arrhythmias continuing to drink coffee.”
He added, “So they often err on the side of caution and advise them to stop drinking it altogether due to fears that it may trigger dangerous heart rhythms. But our study shows that regular coffee intake is safe and could be part of a healthy diet for people with heart disease.”
While it’s not advised to up your coffee intake if it leads to anxiety or discomfort, this research offers a comforting thought: coffee isn’t associated with new or worsening heart disease and might even act as a guardian of heart health.
Prof Kistler has made a compelling case for the benefits of coffee, stating: “There is a whole range of mechanisms through which coffee may reduce mortality and have these favourable effects on cardiovascular disease. Coffee drinkers should feel reassured that they can continue to enjoy coffee even if they have heart disease.”
He also highlighted the stimulant’s cognitive perks: “Coffee is the most common cognitive enhancer – it wakes you up, makes you mentally sharper and it’s a very important component of many people’s daily lives.”
The study in question utilised data from the UK BioBank, examining a spectrum of coffee consumption habits, from those who drink up to one cup to those indulging in more than six cups daily. The team correlated this with instances of heart rhythm issues (arrhythmias), cardiovascular diseases, and both total and heart-specific mortality rates.
Remarkably, the findings indicated that coffee consumption consistently lowered the risk factors associated with heart health, and this was irrespective of other lifestyle factors such as physical activity, alcohol intake, smoking habits, diabetes, and hypertension. The research monitored 382,535 individuals, average age 57, who initially had no diagnosed heart conditions.
Furthermore, the study encompassed 34,279 participants already suffering from some form of cardiovascular disease. Within this subgroup, those who consumed two to three cups of coffee daily were found to have reduced chances of mortality compared to those who abstained entirely from coffee.
Crucially, the research determined that any level of coffee consumption did not exacerbate risks of heart rhythm complications, including AFib or atrial flutter. Prof Kistler emphasized that this often constitutes a significant concern among healthcare professionals.
The study, which included 24,111 people with arrhythmia at the outset, found that coffee drinkers had a lower risk of death. For instance, those with AFib who consumed one cup of coffee daily were nearly 20% less likely to die compared to non-coffee drinkers.
A separate analysis of instant, ground, caffeinated or decaf coffee once again concluded that two to three cups per day was optimal. Lower mortality rates were observed across all types.
While decaf didn’t show favourable effects against arrhythmia cases, it did reduce cardiovascular disease – except for heart failure.
This suggests that caffeinated coffee is preferable in all instances – and there are no benefits to choosing decaf over caffeinated coffees, according to Prof Kistler. Cardiovascular disease remains the world’s leading cause of death – taking an estimated 17.9 million lives annually.
Coffee consumption has also been associated with fighting cancer, dementia, diabetes and depression. Typically, people are advised not to exceed four cups a day – approximately 400mg.
Caffeine is a stimulant – and can induce insomnia and even muscle tremors. The findings were presented at an American College of Cardiology meeting in Washington DC.