Good news for coffee lovers! Mostly.
In a review of the latest research, the American Heart Association found multiple cups of your morning brew won’t have negative health impacts on your heart. But how you drink it matters.
In a new scientific statement published on July 20 in the association’s peer-reviewed scientific journal “Circulation,” researchers found most adults can safely consume up to five cups of coffee per day, which is about 400 mg of caffeine, without increasing risk of cardiovascular disease.
These findings are based on black coffee, since large amounts of added sugar, flavored syrups and dairy products can “substantially increase caloric intake and counteract potential health benefits associated with coffee itself,” the authors note.
Energy Drinks Are a Different Story
The five-cup rule does not apply to higher doses of caffeine, however.
“High doses of caffeine, such as those found in energy drinks including energy shots, may have harmful effects on the heart and should be avoided,” said Dr. Gregory M. Marcus, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and the associate chief of cardiology for research at the University of California, San Francisco Health, in a news release. Marcus is also the chair of the AHA’s scientific statement volunteer writing group that released the findings.
These harmful effects may include increased risk of high blood pressure or irregular heart rhythm or arrhythmia, according to the research. Energy drink shots can contain three to four times more caffeine than regular caffeinated coffee per fluid ounce.
Consuming caffeinated coffee without added sugars, flavors or cream, on the other hand, was linked to a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, heart failure and some irregular heart rhythms, the research found.
What About Cholesterol?
The review also explored research on coffee’s impact on cholesterol, finding unfiltered coffee, such as espresso, French press, Turkish coffee or boiled coffee, contains a component that is associated with higher levels of “bad” cholesterol.
The authors note that while coffee is the main source of caffeine for most adults, keep in mind that tea, soda and chocolate can also contribute to overall caffeine intake.
More research is still needed on how caffeine from different sources affects different people, the authors added.
“Although research suggests that caffeine consumption may be associated with certain cardiovascular benefits for some people, it’s important to remember that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ strategy for safe caffeine consumption,” Marcus said. “People can respond very differently to caffeine based on various factors, such as age, medications, underlying health conditions, genetics and how quickly their bodies metabolize it.”
