A Cup of Coffee a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
November 2024
By Alexa Dreyfus
Edited by Emma Tucker
A hot cup of coffee often brings a morning energy boost along with lingering doubts about its assumed harmful health effects. However, these concerns may not last much longer, as studies increasingly show that moderate coffee consumption is associated with a reduced risk of cardiometabolic diseases. Cardiometabolic diseases can be defined as health conditions that involve the heart, blood vessels, and the metabolism. These diseases include coronary heart diseases, strokes, and diabetes and benefits can come from types of coffee, tea, or other forms of caffeine intake. This proves the exact opposite of what health professionals often associate with caffeine, such as increased blood pressure and heart rate.
To find this correlation, an observational study was done using health information from 500,000 individuals. They selected participants based on a dietary questionnaire and excluded those with pre-existing cardiometabolic conditions. Data was collected on average daily caffeine intake and analyzed metabolites, which are substances the body produces to break down food or chemicals. The researchers then observed that those who consumed moderate amounts of caffeine throughout the day were associated with lower risks of developing a cardiometabolic disorder. Although this conclusion is exciting news, it does not factor into account the dietary and exercise habits of the participants so there may be confounding variables that impact the correlation.
The result of this study has caused the Food and Drug Administration to establish guidelines. Rather than falsely leading the population to believing that all amounts of caffeine are beneficial, they narrowed it down to 2 to 3 cups per day as the ideal amount. Having any more caffeine can outweigh the cardiometabolic benefits that it may bring. It was concluded that “the findings highlight that promoting moderate amounts of coffee or caffeine intake as a dietary habit to healthy people might have far-reaching benefits for the prevention of CM” (Ke, 2024). As noted by Ke, caffeine must be consumed in a habitual manner in order for there to be a correlation with lowering the risk of developing a cardiometabolic disorder. Thus, the research concluded that there is an inverse relationship between caffeine intake and developmental stages of cardiometabolic disorders.
While consuming substantial amounts of caffeine is common to stay awake throughout the day, there is a limit to what amount is beneficial. It is recommended to consume between 200 and 300 mg of caffeine per day, as within that range has been proven to be more beneficial than consuming little to no caffeine. However, simply consuming caffeine is not enough to prevent cardiometabolic diseases. It is important to remember to continue to eat a heart-healthy diet, with foods low in sodium and high in fiber. Additionally, it is critical to continue to exercise and manage stress levels. So, the next time you head to the grocery store, don’t forget to add a caffeinated drink to the cart and be sure to add it to your weekly shopping list.
Sources
ScienceDaily. (2024, September 17). Moderate coffee and caffeine consumption is associated with lower risk of developing multiple cardiometabolic diseases, new study finds. ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/09/240917125341.htm
Xujia Lu, Xiaohong Zhu, Guochen Li, Luying Wu, Liping Shao, Yulong Fan, Chen-Wei Pan, Ying Wu, Yan Borné, Chaofu Ke, Habitual Coffee, Tea, and Caffeine Consumption, Circulating Metabolites, and the Risk of Cardiometabolic Multimorbidity, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2024;, dgae552, https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgae552
Gormley, Victoria. “Latte Art: How to Pour a Heart.” Clive Coffee, Clive Coffee, 5 Nov. 2015, https://clivecoffee.com/blogs/learn/latte-art-how-to-pour-a-heart
