For many, a day doesn’t kick off without a cup of coffee.
Coffee is incredibly popular around the globe, with two-thirds of Americans drinking it daily.
It’s even more consumed than bottled water or tea.
A key ingredient, caffeine, known for its stimulating effects, is believed to be safe for healthy adults up to 400 milligrams daily. This is about four or five home-brewed cups.
While coffee has been linked to various health benefits and even a lower risk of death, concerns about its impact on heart rhythm remain.
Despite studies suggesting moderate coffee intake doesn’t elevate heart rhythm issues, some health experts advise caution.
The Coffee Experiment
A unique study published in the New England Journal of Medicine dove into coffee’s effects on the heart.
The researchers equipped 100 healthy volunteers, mainly under 40, with devices to monitor their heart function, sleep patterns, daily steps, and blood sugar continuously.
Over two weeks, the participants received daily text messages directing them to either drink or avoid caffeinated coffee.
Dr. Gregory Marcus, a cardiologist specializing in treating heart arrhythmias at the University of California, San Francisco, who co-authored the study, pointed out that this type of study, which tracks the biological effects of consuming or not consuming caffeinated coffee, is unusual and offers a wealth of data.
Uncovering the Coffee Mysteries
The study discovered that caffeinated coffee did not increase instances of extra heartbeats, known as premature atrial contractions.
These beats often don’t cause issues, but they can hint at a dangerous heart condition called atrial fibrillation.
Researchers observed slight evidence of another type of irregular heartbeat, premature ventricular contractions, which originate from the heart’s lower chambers.
They’re also usually harmless but are linked to a higher risk of heart failure. More of these early beats were noted on the days when participants drank two or more cups of coffee.
Interestingly, the study also found that participants walked approximately 1,000 more steps and slept about 36 minutes less on days they drank coffee. Blood sugar levels remained almost unchanged.
People who genetically metabolize caffeine faster slept better, while those who broke it down more slowly slept less.
What This Means For You
While these findings shed new light on coffee and heart health, they were based on a small group over a short period.
Therefore, the results may not apply to everyone, warned Dr. Dave Kao, a cardiologist not involved in the study.
Yet, the study does align with previous findings, suggesting that coffee is generally safe and offers a unique evaluation of caffeine’s effect.
Dr. Marcus advises that coffee’s effects can differ from person to person. He encourages his patients with heart arrhythmias to gauge how caffeine impacts them.
In short, coffee lovers can feel more reassured about their daily brew. But, like with all things, moderation is key, and understanding your body’s reactions to caffeine is crucial.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk, and herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about how drinking milk affects the risks of heart disease and cancer, and results showing DASH diet is good for your blood pressure, and a vegetable diet may reduce heart disease risk.
The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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