A cup of coffee in the morning can do more than just keep you awake, according to a new study. The question is, should you start drinking coffee?
New research on the benefits of coffee
The study was published recently in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism of the Endocrine Society.
According to the study's lead author, Associate Professor Dr. Chaofu Ke, Suzhou University (China), moderate caffeine intake — defined as about three cups of coffee or tea per day — is associated with a lower risk of metabolic cardiovascular disease.
Metabolic cardiovascular disease is a condition in which at least two cardiovascular diseases related to metabolic disorders such as coronary artery disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes coexist.
"Coffee and caffeine consumption can play an important protective role in almost any stage of metabolic cardiovascular disease development," Dr. Ke said.
According to CNN, the researchers analyzed data from about 180,000 people at the UK Biobank, a large biomedical database and research source that tracks people for a long time. The participants did not have metabolic cardiovascular disease in the first place.
According to Dr. Ke, as a result, people who consumed moderate amounts of caffeine had a lower risk of new-onset metabolic cardiovascular disease. The risk was reduced by 48.1% if they drank three cups per day or 40.7% if they drank 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine per day, compared to those who didn't drink or drank less than one cup.
Professor - Dr. Gregory Marcus, University of California, San Francisco (USA), said that the study had a large sample size and used many biomarkers to support the findings, giving this study insight into how caffeine affects heart health.
Marcus said in an email: "These observations add to the growing body of evidence that caffeine and commonly consumed natural substances that contain caffeine such as tea and coffee may improve heart health."
What researchers don't know
According to Prof. Marcus, this methodology is very robust and the results are consistent with existing data on caffeine and heart health, but there are still many questions about the link between caffeine and heart health.
"It's important to emphasize that, although this data shows a relationship between caffeine, tea and coffee and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, we need to be careful before inferring the true causal effects," Marcus said.
Since this study is observational, it can only show a link between caffeine and heart health. He thinks that other factors may actually be responsible for improved heart health.
"It's still possible that the apparent protective effects don't really exist and that all the positive associations are explained by some really unknown or unmeasured determinants," the expert said.
For example, he said, perhaps people who are more likely to consume these substances also tend to have healthier diets or more physical activity.
The study also didn't take into account the effects of caffeine from carbonated or energy drinks, meaning the researchers couldn't say whether those substances had a positive effect.
Should you start drinking coffee?
A lot of literature shows benefits from consuming caffeine.
Prof Marcus said some studies have shown that the risk of diabetes is lower. And contrary to popular belief, drinking caffeine in coffee has been linked to a reduced risk of irregular heart rhythms.
"But the majority of that research was observational and one study showed mixed results, with more caffeine associated with more daily steps but less sleep," Marcus said.
He said that while this new study will provide comfort for people who already have a habit of drinking coffee or tea, it is not necessarily a sign to start the habit of drinking caffeine regularly.
He added: "It's also important to mention that more is not necessarily better."
According to him, even if caffeine, coffee and tea in the amounts described in this study... While it's really good for health, there's also strong evidence of potential danger.
High doses of caffeine, especially when present in artificial beverages such as energy drinks, can actually cause harmful and even dangerous heart rate problems.
Speaking to The New York Times, Dr. Donald Hensrud, director of the Mayo Clinic's Healthy Living Program, said: "There are no guidelines to help guide you on this. This is a personal decision."
We know that coffee has been linked to many health benefits. A review of studies found that drinking more coffee was associated with a reduced risk of cirrhosis.
Coffee also brings many benefits such as reducing the risk of tinnitus, increasing driving safety, cutting the risk of melanoma, promoting exercise, living longer and avoiding death...
The medical consensus seems clear that coffee is not unhealthy. But experts tend not to suggest that non-coffee drinkers add it to their diet.
"It's one thing to say it's safe. Recommending it as a medical option even though people don't like it and they have to make an effort to adopt it is another matter.
We need a different level of evidence to recommend it to people," said Associate Professor Dr. Rob van Dam, a nutritionist and epidemiologist at Harvard University.
In fact, coffee has been linked to side effects such as insomnia, restlessness, or heartburn, and since people metabolize caffeine at different rates, some people may not be able to tolerate it. If you're having trouble falling asleep after drinking a can of soda, coffee may not be for you.
You shouldn't feel as if you're missing out on potential health benefits, especially if you don't like the taste of it.