In a new study, researchers found that drinking coffee isn’t as bad for our arteries and hearts as some previous studies would suggest.
They found that drinking coffee is not linked to having stiffer arteries. This is true even in people who drink up to 25 cups a day.
The research was done by a team from the Queen Mary University of London.
Arteries carry blood containing oxygen and nutrients from the heart to the rest of the body.
If they become stiff, there will be more workload on the heart. This can increase a person’s risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
In the study, the team examined over 8,000 people in the UK. These people were divided into three groups based on their coffee consumption.
The groups include who drink less than one cup a day, those who drink between one and three cups a day and those who drink more than three.
The research showed that moderate and heavy coffee drinkers were most likely to be male, smokers, and people who drank alcohol regularly.
MRI heart scans and infrared pulse wave tests showed that there was no link between coffee drinking and artery stiffness.
People who drank more than 25 cups of coffee a day were excluded, but no increased stiffening of arteries was linked to those who drank up to this high limit.
The finding debunks previous studies that claimed drinking coffee increases arterial stiffness.
The team explains that previous suggestions that drinking coffee leads to artery stiffness are inconsistent and may be limited by small participant numbers.
Although the team cannot prove a causal link in this study, the finding indicates coffee isn’t as bad for the arteries as previous studies would suggest.
In the future, the team would like to study coffee drinking more closely to help to advise safe limits.
The lead author of the study is Professor Steffen Petersen.
The study was presented at the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) Conference in Manchester.
Copyright © 2019 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
