If, like me, you’re an avid coffee drinker, then you’re in for some good news. A recent study found that drinking multiple cups of coffee a day could actually improve heart health
Previously, coffee was thought to come with increased health risks. But a newly released study from the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology has supposedly busted the myth.
The study explored the link between coffee and cardiovascular disease and arrhythmias over the space of 12.5 years. Just under half a million adults (449,563 to be precise) took part in the experiment ranging between 40 to 69 years old with no history of cardiovascular issues.
Participants were split into six groups. The first group consumed no cups of coffee, while the remaining five were divided into the following; drinking less than one cup, one cup, two to three cups, four to five and then more than five cups.
By comparing those who drank coffee and those that avoided coffee, the results found that those consuming the caffeinated beverage had improved heart health and a reduced risk of death overall. In particular, it was those who drank two to three cups of coffee a day that experienced a lower risk of death overall when compared to those who never drank coffee.
As for the kind of coffee that participants drank this was also taken into account and included instant, ground and decaffeinated. The largest decrease came from ground coffee, which showed a 27% lower risk of death. Followed by decaf at 14% while instant coffee came in at 11%.
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When it came to examining cardiovascular disease (defined as heart failure, coronary heart disease and stroke), the results revealed similar results – those who drank two to three cups of coffee each day saw the biggest reduction. Ground coffee once again saw the highest risk reduction at 20%, followed by instant at 9% and decaf at 6%.
So, it appears two-three cups per day is the ‘ideal amount’ for noticeable reductions in heart health issues. When consumed within the recommended guidelines (adults can approximately drink up to 400 milligrams of caffeine each day), minus the added sugar and milk, it seems coffee isn’t so bad afterall.
A note to end on; information regarding the number of cups of coffee consumed each day was self-reported therefore experts would not know if a participant changed their daily intake of coffee or the kind of coffee they consumed over the 12.5-year study.
So folks, if you’re doubting whether to have your third coffee of the day, go for it!
Chloe Bowen is Cosmopolitan UK’s former Features Intern. She holds undergraduate and masters degrees in journalism, and ever since joining the Cosmo team, Chloe writes about everything from sex and dating to mental health, culture, body image and books. In her spare time, she’s likely to be cooking up tasty vegan food, in a yoga class, binge-watching crime documentaries or going on long walks with an over-priced oat milk flat white.
