Marcella La Cioppa New research has revealed that moderate caffeine intake, especially with coffee and tea, may lead to a lower risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases, such as stroke and diabetes.
@Canva
A new study brings promising news for both coffee and tea lovers. Researchers have learned that moderate caffeine consumption could notably lower the risk of developing certain cardiometabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, stroke, and coronary artery disease.
This current study, as published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, found that persons who drank an average of about three cups of coffee or tea per day have a 48% lower probability of having two or more cardiometabolic diseases compared with those who drank less than one cup per day.
So, how does caffeine affect cardiometabolic health? And does that mean we should add an extra shot of espresso to our morning coffee? Here’s what experts are saying.
The study
To see how caffeine might influence cardiometabolic health, researchers examined the caffeine habits of about 360,000 individuals between ages 37 and 73 who participated in the UK Biobank-a large longitudinal study in which hundreds of thousands of people have provided anonymized health data and completed questionnaires that detail things like caffeine intake. None had any history of cardiometabolic diseases at the beginning of the study.
The researchers investigated caffeine consumption and whether or not individuals developed cardiometabolic diseases over time.
By looking at the data, it was observed that the intake of an average amount of 200-300 mg/day had a reduced risk for multiple cardiometabolic diseases when compared to intake levels of less than 100 mg/day. Subjects who chose coffee as a major source had the lowest risk, with about a 50% reduced risk. Compared to this, persons with combined intakes of both coffee and tea had cardiometabolic conditions reduced by around 40%.
They also found that caffeine did not seem to have a bad effect on cardiometabolic health even among the 4% who consumed more than 400 mg daily from coffee, tea, or both.
Although the researchers are not quite sure why caffeine might result in better cardiometabolic health, they say a moderate amount each day could regulate specific metabolites associated with cardiometabolic diseases, such as some lipids.
The authors declared several limitations to their research: the study judged caffeine only as a component of coffee or tea, but not of colas or energy drinks. Furthermore, it was an epidemiological study, and although it demonstrated that moderate intake of caffeine is associated with a reduced risk for cardiometabolic diseases, it was not able to confirm causation.
How much coffee is too much?
Studies show that if you have one to three cups daily and are not suffering from any side effects of coffee intake, such as acid reflux or palpitations, there may be good reasons to continue drinking. Besides this, other added ingredients like sugar, artificial sweeteners, and whipped cream add to the calorie count and may increase the risk of cardiometabolic conditions.
However, experts say too much caffeine-even for a regular user-can have side effects. By example, a regular cup of coffee contains about 100 mg, while one shot of espresso has about 63 mg. One giant espresso drink from a coffee shop can have as much as four times that much and may cause side effects.
Too many people consume too much caffeine, becoming irritable, experiencing sleep problems, and even showing withdrawal symptoms when they don’t get their usual dose.
Research also suggested that intake above 400 mg daily may increase the rate of heartbeat and increase blood pressure over a certain period; and some research suggests that a higher consumption of caffeine is linked to an increased risk of dementia and stroke.
Ultimately, it is not a magic bullet that will improve metabolic health, even when consumed responsibly.
Regular exercise, good-quality sleep, the absence of tobacco and alcohol, and keeping within a healthy weight will do far more for your health than a few cups of coffee.
Source: The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
