Drinking coffee may reduce risk of heart disease and early death, study says

Drinking two to three cups a day of most types of coffee can protect you from cardiovascular disease and early death, a new study finds.

“The results suggest that light to moderate intake of ground, instant, and decaf coffee should be considered part of a healthy lifestyle,” said study author Peter Kistler, head of clinical electrophysiology research at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute. and head of electrophysiology at Alfred, Hospital in Melbourne.

Researchers found “significant reductions” in the risk of coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure and stroke for all three types of coffee.

However, only ground and caffeinated instant coffee reduced the risk of irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias. Decaf coffee did not decrease that risk, according to the study published Wednesday in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

Previous studies have also found that moderate amounts of black coffee — between 3 and 5 cups a day — have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, as well as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, type 2 diabetes, liver disease and prostate cancer.

“This manuscript adds to the body of evidence from observational trials linking moderate coffee consumption with cardioprotection, which looks promising,” Charlotte Mills, a professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Reading in the UK, said in a statement.

However, this study, like many in the past, was only observational in nature and therefore cannot prove a direct cause and effect, added Mills, who was not involved in the study.

“Does coffee make you healthy or do inherently healthier people drink coffee?” she asked. “Randomized controlled trials are needed to prove the relationship between coffee and cardiovascular health.”

Ground and caffeinated coffee reduced the risk more

The study used data from the UK Biobank, a research database that contained coffee consumption preferences in nearly 450,000 adults who were free of arrhythmia or other cardiovascular disease at baseline.

They were divided into four groups: those who liked caffeinated ground coffee, those who chose decaf coffee, those who preferred caffeinated instant coffee, and those who did not drink coffee.

After an average of 12.5 years, the researchers analyzed medical and death records for reports of arrhythmia, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and death.

After adjusting for age, diabetes, ethnicity, high blood pressure, obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, sex, smoking, and tea and alcohol consumption, the researchers found that all types of coffee were associated with a reduction in death from any cause.

The fact that caffeinated and decaf coffee is beneficial “may suggest that it is not simply caffeine that could explain any associated reduction in risk,” said Duane Mellor, a registered dietitian and senior lecturer at Aston University Medical School in Birmingham, UK. , in a statement. He did not participate in the study.

“Caffeine is the best-known constituent of coffee, but the beverage contains more than 100 biologically active components,” said Kistler, who holds joint positions as professor of medicine at the University of Melbourne and Monash University.

“It is likely that non-caffeinated compounds were responsible for the observed positive relationships between coffee consumption, cardiovascular disease, and survival,” Kistler said.

Drinking two to three cups of coffee a day was associated with the greatest reduction in early mortality, compared with people who did not drink coffee, according to the release. Ground coffee consumption reduced the risk of death by 27%, followed by 14% for decaf and 11% for caffeinated soluble coffee.

The link between coffee and a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke was not so robust: Drinking two to three cups a day of ground coffee reduced the risk by 20%, while the same amount of decaf coffee reduced the risk by 6% and instant coffee. by 9%.

The data changed when it came to coffee’s impact on irregular heartbeats: four to five cups a day of caffeinated ground coffee reduced the risk by 17%, while two to three cups a day of instant coffee reduced the likelihood of arrhythmia by 12%. %, the statement said.

More studies needed

One limitation of the study was that coffee consumption was self-reported at a single time point, said Annette Creedon, a nutritional scientist and manager of the British Nutrition Foundation, which is partly funded by food producers, retailers and food service companies.

“This study had an average follow-up period of 12.5 years, during which many aspects of the participants’ diet and lifestyle may have changed,” Creedon said in a statement. She was not part of the research.

In addition, coffee can produce negative side effects in some people, he added. People with sleep problems or uncontrolled diabetes, for example, should consult a doctor before adding caffeine to their diet.

These negative side effects “may be particularly relevant for individuals sensitive to the effects of caffeine,” Creedon said. “Thus, the findings of this study do not indicate that people should start drinking coffee if they do not already drink it or that they should increase their consumption.”

Most studies are focused on the health benefits of black coffee and don’t take into account the extra sugars, creams, milks, and processed additives that many people use in coffee.

“A simple cup of coffee, perhaps with a little milk, is very different from a large flavored latte with syrup and cream added,” Mellor said.

Additionally, the way coffee is brewed can also affect its health benefits. Filtered coffee picks up a compound called cafestol that exists in the oily part of the coffee. Cafessol can increase bad cholesterol or LDL (low-density lipoproteins).

However, using a French press, Turkish coffee maker, or boiling coffee (as is usually done in Scandinavian countries) does not remove the cafestol.

And finally, the benefits of coffee don’t apply to kids — even teens shouldn’t drink colas, coffees, energy drinks or other drinks with any amount of caffeine, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.