If you’re a one-coffee-per-day drinker, it may be time to up your intake.
A new study shows that drinking multiple cups of coffee every day is linked with better heart health and an overall reduction in death.
The roughly 12.5-year study, which was published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, explored the impact coffee had on the health of 449,563 adults age 40 to 69 with no history of cardiovascular issues.
Study participants were split into groups – people who drank zero cups of coffee each day, less than one cup, one cup, two to three cups, four to five cups, and more than five cups. This information was gathered via a questionnaire that also included a question about the kind of coffee they drink – those options were instant, ground or decaffeinated coffee.
Those who drank coffee were compared to non-coffee drinkers to determine the study results.
Coffee was found to help heart health and led to a reduced risk of death overall
After adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, alcohol consumption, smoking status and obesity, it was found that, across the board, drinking multiple cups of coffee benefits your health.
First, people who drank two to three cups of either instant, ground or decaf coffee experienced a lower risk of death overall when compared with people who don’t drink coffee. The largest decrease came from ground coffee, which showed a 27% lower risk of death. Decaf came in at 14% and instant coffee came in at 11%.
Next, a reduction in cardiovascular disease, which the study defined as heart failure, coronary heart disease and stroke, was found for people who drank two to three cups of coffee each day. Ground coffee once again saw the highest risk reduction at 20%, followed by instant at 9% and decaf at 6%.
The last thing the study measured was a reduction in arrhythmias, also known as irregular heartbeat. In this portion of the study, the results differed from other results. People who drank four to five (not two to three) cups of ground or instant coffee each day saw a reduction in arrhythmias – and there was no reduction for people who drank decaf coffee.
This study has a few limitations: Information regarding the number of cups of coffee consumed each day was self-reported and that information was collected at the start of the study. So, the study authors would not know if someone changed their daily intake of coffee or the kind of coffee they consumed over the roughly 12.5-year study.
Other studies have also shown that coffee has health benefits
But even with those factors considered, coffee, when consumed within reason and without lots of added sugar and creamer, has been known to be good for your health. Coffee has anti-inflammatory properties and is known to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Plus, it wakes you up.
And caffeine, when consumed within the recommended guidelines (adults can consume up to 400 milligrams of caffeine each day) is connected to many health benefits. It “stimulates the central nervous system,” according to the American Heart Association, and is linked to a lower risk of Parkinson’s Disease, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
So, if you’re questioning that second or third cup of coffee, go ahead and fill your mug. That cup of coffee probably has health benefits, anyway.