In a new study from the Queen Mary University of London, researchers found that having up to three cups of coffee a day has a protective effect on heart health.
It also reduces the overall mortality rate and the risk of stroke.
The researchers analyzed data from 468,629 UK Biobank participants, who didn’t have any record of heart disease at the start of the research period.
The participants were asked about their coffee-drinking habits and lifestyle in a detailed questionnaire and data was also gathered on their heart health levels.
The participants were divided into three groups: non-coffee drinkers, light to moderate coffee drinkers and those who consumed a significant amount of coffee a day.
The team found light to moderate coffee consumption was associated with a 12 percent lower risk of overall mortality, and with a 17 percent lower risk of death caused by cardiovascular diseases compared to non-coffee drinkers.
In addition, from half to three cups of coffee was associated with a 21 percent lower risk of stroke.
The team also found that most of the participants drank either ground or instant coffee. Ground coffee in moderate amounts was associated with lower mortality risk—but this benefit was not found amongst the regular instant coffee drinkers.
Using the MRI scans, the team found that regular light to moderate coffee consumption is beneficial for the health of the heart, with the suggestion that it can slow down age-related cardiac changes.
The researchers also found that the type of coffee matters in relation to health benefits.
The research also found that even decaffeinated coffee was associated with lower all-cause mortality risk which also suggests that it’s not only the caffeine that plays a role in the positive effects of coffee.
If you care about heart health, please read studies that walking pace may impact your heart failure risk, and what to eat if you have a heart rhythm problem.
For more information about stroke, please see recent studies about how to reverse heart failure with diet, and a case showing that after a spinal cord stroke left him paralyzed, he vowed to walk again.
The study is published in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology and was conducted by Professor Steffen Petersen et al.
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