Is coffee good for your heart? Studies say yes!
Coffee is loaded with health benefits. Studies indicate it may also contribute to heart health. Let's explore whether it's good for your heart & why!
According to the American College of Cardiology, two to three cups of coffee per day is closely associated with a healthier heart!
Have you ever wondered whether coffee is good for your heart? According to experts, coffee may offer more than simply a jolt of caffeine to start your day. In fact, in a recent study published by the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology on September 27th, 2022, researchers found that individuals who consumed two to three cups of coffee a day lowered their risk of cardiovascular disease and early death significantly, in comparison to those who did not drink coffee.
Here, we will discuss coffee and its effects on cardiovascular health so that you can decide for yourself whether coffee might help your ticker keep running smoothly!
Is coffee good for your heart?
According to a recent Harvard Health study, drinking a moderate amount of coffee, (1-4 cups a day) may be linked to a lowered risk of heart disease. Some studies also show a connection between drinking coffee and a lower risk of coronary heart disease, heart failure, and dangerous heart rhythms overall. Other studies indicate that coffee consumption might lower your risk of all-cause mortality, including death from heart disease.
However, for people diagnosed with severely high blood pressure, drinking coffee may not have any significant health benefits. Therefore, if you have high blood pressure, it is likely wise to speak with your physician before increasing your daily coffee intake.
All About Coffee and Heart Health
An article from the American College of Cardiology goes in-depth on why coffee may actually lower the risk of heart disease and dangerous heart rhythms while also increasing longevity. According to this article, since coffee tends to quicken the heart rate, many people are concerned that it could trigger or worsen certain heart issues. In fact, this may be where the general medical advice to stop drinking coffee if you have heart problems might come from.
However, Peter M. Kistler, MD, professor and head of arrhythmia research at the Alfred Hospital and Baker Heart Institute in Melbourne, Australia states that data suggests that daily coffee intake may be encouraged rather than discouraged as part of a healthy diet for those who both do and don’t have heart disease. Drinking coffee could become a simple and natural way to improve cardiovascular health overall.
Kistler goes on to say that coffee may work through a range of different mechanisms to reduce all-cause mortality and have favorable effects on cardiovascular health. So, coffee drinkers can feel reassured knowing they can enjoy their coffee even if they have heart disease, as it seems to be a common cognitive enhancer with beneficial cardiovascular effects.
Why is coffee good for the heart?
Coffee in moderate quantities seems to be heart-friendly and may reduce the likelihood of overall cardiovascular events. Coffee also tends to increase brain serotonin which is a hormone that can help people feel happier, and the caffeine in coffee is a central nervous stimulant that inhibits adenosine receptors in the brain. This combined with the polyphenols in coffee (which work as an antioxidant) may help improve heart health.
However, since caffeine is an active ingredient in coffee, it also inhibits phosphodiesterase in blood vessels, and this raises cAMP levels and increases dilation in blood vessels. As such, those with high blood pressure and/or severe hypertension should speak with their physician before starting a daily coffee regimen.
Study Statistics on Coffee and Heart Health Based on 12 Years of Research
Researchers in the aforementioned study have discovered that people who consumed coffee daily had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease overall. The 12-year study of 450,000 people with an average age range of 58 years old gathered information on participants who reported how much coffee they drank.
Coffee Heart Health Participant Categorization and Results
Researchers categorize study participants based on their daily consumption and heart health. The first category of participants did not have atrial fibrillation or issues with irregular heartbeat, while a separate group did report these issues. After 12 years, the study indicated that instances of cardiovascular disease, irregular heartbeat, heart-related deaths, and all-cause mortality were lower among coffee drinkers compared to those who did not drink coffee.
Lowered Risk of Cardiovascular Issues Among Coffee Drinkers
People who drank an average of two or three cups daily had the lowest overall risk of cardiovascular-related diseases and death. For those in the study who did have an irregular heartbeat, the lowest risk found was among those who drank four to five cups of coffee daily. However, drinking decaffeinated coffee was not directly associated with reducing risks correlating with irregular heartbeat.
Polyphenols May Help Reduce Oxidative Stress
In essence, all types of coffee were linked to lowered cardiovascular disease. One possible plausible explanation that remains unproven is that coffee contains high amounts of polyphenols, which may help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body.
What kind of coffee for heart health is best?
In the many studies that have been conducted to discover whether coffee is healthy for the heart, no particular brands or types of coffee were studied. Apart from regular caffeinated coffee, study participants did not specify which strains of brands they were consuming. As such, it can reasonably be assumed that most caffeinated coffee is fine for those seeking heart health benefits.
Bearing this in mind, common sense would suggest that an organic high-quality coffee free of pesticides would likely be best for the heart and overall bodily health. For example, onegreatcoffee.com offers freshly roasted non-GMO arabica coffee beans that are naturally sourced and responsibly grown free of unnecessary chemicals and harmful substances like pesticides. Follow this link to www.onegreatcoffee.com to see an immense list of fragrant and mouth-watering Natural Organic coffee options!
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