Get inspired by our weekly roundup of tips for living simply and fulfillingly. Subscribe to CNN’s Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools to improve your health
CNN
—
Your morning cup of coffee may do more than just give you a pick-me-up, according to a new study.
Moderate caffeine intake, defined as approximately three cups of coffee or tea per day, is associated with a lower risk of developing cardiometabolic multimorbidity, said Ke Chaofu, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Soochow University in Suzhou, China, and lead author of the study.
Cardiometabolic multiple diseasesCardiovascular disease (CM) is the presence of at least two comorbid cardiometabolic diseases, such as coronary artery disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, or hypertension.
“Coffee and caffeine consumption may play an important protective role at almost all stages of CM development,” Ke said.
The researchers analysed data from UK Biobank, a large biomedical database and research resource that follows people longitudinally, on around 180,000 people who were initially free of cardiometabolic disease.
That information included participants’ self-reported caffeine intake through coffee, black tea and green tea, as well as incident cardiometabolic disease through primary care data, hospital records and death certificates, according to the study published Tuesday in the Journal of Endocrine Research. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Those who consumed moderate amounts of caffeine had a lower risk of developing new cardiometabolic diseases. Compared with those who did not consume any caffeine or those who consumed less than one cup, those who consumed three cups a day had a 48.1% lower risk, and those who consumed 200 to 300 milligrams a day had a 40.7% lower risk, Ke said.
“This study has a large sample size, uses multiple biomarkers to support its findings, and takes a closer look at how caffeine affects heart health,” said Dr. Gregory Marcus, vice chair of cardiology research and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not involved in the study.
“These observations add to a growing body of evidence that caffeine and commonly consumed caffeine-containing natural substances such as tea and coffee may enhance cardiovascular health,” Marcus said in an email.
The methodology is powerful, and the results are consistent with existing data on caffeine and heart health, but questions remain about the extent of the relationship between caffeine and heart health, Marcus said.
“Although these data suggest an association between caffeine, tea and coffee and a reduced combined risk of cardiovascular disease, it is important to stress that caution is needed before inferring true causation,” Marcus said.
Because the study is observational, it can only show a link between caffeine and heart health, he said, adding that other factors may actually be responsible for the improved heart health.
“It remains possible that the apparent protective effect may in fact not exist at all, and that any positive associations could be explained entirely by true determinants that are not yet known or measured,” Marcus added.
“For example, people who are more likely to consume these substances may tend to have healthier diets or be more physically active.”
The study also didn’t take into account the effects of caffeine, which is found in sodas and energy drinks, so the researchers don’t know whether those substances also have beneficial effects, Ke said.
There is a wealth of literature demonstrating the benefits of caffeine intake.
Some studies have Lower risk of diabetes“And contrary to popular belief, drinking the caffeine in coffee can… Lower risk of arrhythmiahe added, pointing to his own research and that of others.
However, most of the studies are observational, and one study showed that higher caffeine intake was associated with Daily steps increase but sleep time decreases Marcus said.
The new study should come as some relief to people who already drink coffee or tea, but it’s not necessarily a sign to start consuming caffeine on a regular basis, Marcus said.
“It’s also important to mention that more is not necessarily better,” he said.
“While the amounts of caffeine mentioned in this study, coffee and tea, are certainly healthy, there is also strong evidence that high doses of caffeine, especially those found in artificial concoctions like energy drinks, can actually cause harmful and dangerous heart rhythm disorders.”
Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the sample size of data collected from UK Biobank and how many cups of coffee drinking would reduce risk.
