According to research published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the ESC1, drinking two to three cups of coffee a day is linked to a longer life span and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.1 The results held true for decaffeinated, instant, and ground varieties.
According to study author Professor Peter Kistler of the Baker Heart and Diabetes Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, “In this large, observational study, ground, instant, and decaffeinated coffee were associated with equivalent reductions in the incidence of cardiovascular disease and death from cardiovascular disease or any cause.” Based on the results, small to moderate amounts of ground, instant, and decaffeinated coffee should be seen as part of a healthy lifestyle.
The effects of various coffee preparations on heart health and survival are not well understood. Using data from the UK Biobank, which included adults aged 40 to 69, this study looked at the relationships between different types of coffee and incident arrhythmias, cardiovascular disease, and death. Congestive heart failure, ischaemic stroke, and coronary heart disease make up cardiovascular disease.
At baseline, none of the 449,563 participants in the study had any arrhythmias or other cardiovascular diseases. There were 55.3% women and a median age of 58. Participants responded to questions about their daily coffee consumption and their preferences for instant, ground (such as cappuccino or filtered coffee), or decaffeinated coffee. After that, they were divided into six categories based on daily intake: none, less than one, one, two to three, four to five, and more than five cups. 198,062 (44.1%) participants reported drinking instant coffee, 82,575 (18.4%) ground coffee, and 68,416 (15.2%) decaffeinated coffee on a regular basis. The comparison group included 100,510 (22.4%) non-coffee drinkers.
After adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, smoking status, and tea and alcohol consumption, coffee drinkers and non-drinkers were compared for the incidence of arrhythmias, cardiovascular disease, and death. Medical and death records were used to gather information on the results. 12.5 years was the median follow-up period.
27,809 participants in total (6.2%) passed away while being followed up. Coffee of all varieties has been associated with a decrease in fatalities of all kinds. For decaffeinated, ground, and instant coffee, the lowest risk of death was linked to a 14%, 27%, and 11% lower chance of dying, respectively, compared to not drinking coffee.
During the follow-up, 43,173 (9.6%) participants had cardiovascular disease diagnosed. Every coffee subtype was linked to a decline in the occurrence of cardiovascular disease. Once more, the lowest risk was seen with two to three cups per day, which, when compared to quitting coffee, was linked to a 6%, 20%, and 9% lower risk of cardiovascular disease for decaffeinated, ground, and instant coffee, respectively.
During follow-up, an arrhythmia was identified in 30,100 (6.7%) participants. A decrease in arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation was linked to ground and instant coffee but not decaffeinated. The lowest risks were seen with four to five cups of ground coffee and two to three cups of instant coffee per day, with 17% and 12% lower risks, respectively, compared to non-drinkers.
So says Professor Kistler “Coffee contains more than 100 biologically active ingredients, but caffeine is the one that is most well-known. The associations between coffee consumption, cardiovascular disease, and survival were found to be positively correlated, and it is likely that these associations were caused by non-caffeinated compounds. Our research shows that enjoying small amounts of coffee in any form is not only acceptable but also beneficial for your heart. “
