According to a recent study, drinking two to three cups of most varieties of coffee daily may guard against cardiovascular disease and early death.
The study’s lead author, Peter Kistler, who is also the head of electrophysiology at Alfred Hospital in Melbourne and the director of clinical electrophysiology research at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, said that the findings “suggest that mild to moderate intake of ground, instant, and decaffeinated coffee should be considered part of a healthy lifestyle.”
For all three varieties of coffee, researchers discovered “substantial decreases” in the risk of coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, and stroke. However, only coffee that contains caffeine, such as instant or ground, lowers the risk of arrhythmia, an irregular heartbeat. Decaffeinated coffee did not lessen that risk, according to the study published Wednesday in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
Prior research has also revealed that drinking 3 to 5 cups of black coffee per day reduces the risk of heart disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, and prostate cancer.
According to Charlotte Mills, a lecturer in nutritional sciences at the University of Reading in the UK, “This paper adds to the body of data from observational studies connecting moderate coffee intake with cardioprotection, which seems encouraging.”
However, Mills, who was not part in the study, pointed out that this one, like many others in the past, was only observational in nature and could not establish a clear cause and effect.
She questioned, “Does coffee make you healthy or do intrinsically healthier people drink coffee?” The link between coffee and cardiovascular health must be shown by randomised controlled trials, according to the statement.
To read our blog on “Wearing a cardiac monitor on your sleeve: The role of smart gadgets in healthcare,” click here
