For years, coffee has been seen as the bad guy, especially when it comes to our heart health. However, we’re increasingly learning that this beany beverage may actually have a protective effect against type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, strokes, and a host of other cardiometabolic diseases.
In a new study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, scientists from Soochow University in China found that moderate coffee and caffeine consumption—that is, around three cups of coffee a day—was associated with a 48.1 percent lower risk of having two or more cardiometabolic diseases, compared to those who drank less than one cup a day.
To reach these conclusions, the researchers analyzed data from the UK Biobank, a large longitudinal study with over 500,000 participants aged between 37 and 73. After excluding those with ambiguous data regarding caffeine and/or coffee consumption, they were left with roughly 350,000 individuals.
Coffee and caffeine intake at all levels were inversely associated with the risk developing cardiometabolic diseases during the study period.
“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,” Chaofu Ke, a researcher in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health at Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, in Suzhou, China and the study’s lead author, said in a statement.
These findings add to a growing body of evidence that moderate caffeine and coffee consumption may be beneficial for our health. For example, previous studies have linked coffee consumption to improved athletic and mental performance, as well as a more diverse gut microbiome.
Of course, there are some people who do need to limit their caffeine consumption, for example pregnant people and those with preexisting heart conditions. What’s more, if you add loads of sugar and cream you’re probably going to counteract these beneficial effects.
To get the most bang for your bean, it’s important to limit your intake to the recommended four cups a day, and stick with either black coffee or a light dash of milk.
Two friends drinking coffee. We’re increasingly learning that coffee might actually benefit our health.
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Lu, X., Zhu, X., Li, G., Wu, L., Shao, L., Fan, Y., Pan, C.-W., Wu, Y., Borné, Y., & Ke, C. (2024). Habitual Coffee, Tea, and Caffeine Consumption, Circulating Metabolites, and the Risk of Cardiometabolic Multimorbidity. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
