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.
There’s good news for coffee and tea lovers: a new study has linked moderate consumption of caffeine at a lower risk of developing multiple cardiometabolic diseaseslike the type 2 diabetesthestroke or the coronary heart disease.
There researchpublished on Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolismspecifically found that people who drank about three cups of coffee or tea a day had a 48 percent lower risk of having two or more cardiometabolic diseases than those who drank less than one cup a day.
So, how does caffeine affect cardiometabolic health? Plus, does this new research mean we need to add an extra shot of espresso to our morning coffee? Here’s what the experts have to say.
The study
To assess how caffeine might affect cardiometabolic health, researchers analyzed the caffeine habits of around 360,000 people aged 37 to 73 from the UK Biobank, a large longitudinal study that includes anonymous health data from participants who had completed questionnaires about their caffeine consumption and habits. Participants had no history of cardiometabolic disease when the study began.
The scientists looked at caffeine consumption and whether the participants had developed it cardiometabolic diseases.
After crunching the numbers, the team found that people who consumed about 200-300 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per day had a lower risk of developing multiple cardiometabolic diseases than people who drank less than 100 mg per day. Participants who chose coffee as their caffeine drink had the lowest risk, with a reduction of about 50%. In comparison, those who consumed coffee and tea had approximately 40% less likely to develop cardiometabolic diseases.
The researchers also found that caffeine did not appear to have a negative effect on cardiometabolic health for the 4 percent of people who consumed more than 400 mg of caffeine, either from coffee or tea or both.
Researchers aren’t entirely clear on why caffeine may improve cardiometabolic health. However, they said that a moderate amount of daily caffeine can regulate levels of specific metabolites – compounds produced when the body breaks down food and fluid – associated with cardiometabolic diseases, such as some lipids.
The authors pointed out several limitations of the studyincluding that it assessed caffeine as an ingredient in coffee or tea, but not in carbonated drinks and energy drinks. Furthermore, research has only found a link between moderate caffeine intake and a lower risk of cardiometabolic disease, but has not proven causality.
How much coffee is too much?
Experts agree that if you consume one to three cups of coffee a day and have no negative effects, how reflux acid or palpitationsthere may be good reasons to continue your routine.
Obviously, there are also other additional components to consider such as sugar, artificial sweeteners or whipped cream, which increase calories and can therefore increase the risk of developing cardiometabolic conditions.
However, researchers point out that ingesting too much caffeine, even for people who consume it regularly can have side effects. For example, a typical cup of coffee contains about 100 mg of caffeine, while a shot of espresso contains about 63 mg. A large espresso-based drink from your coffee shop can contain four times more caffeine, which could have side effects.
Many people get too much caffeine in their diet, which can cause irritability, difficulty sleeping, and withdrawal symptoms if they go too long without caffeine.
Research has also shown that daily consumption of more than 400 milligrams of caffeine per day can increase heart rate and blood pressure over timeand some studies suggest a link between higher caffeine intake and a higher risk of dementia and stroke.
Ultimately, it’s important to remember that caffeine is not the silver bullet for improving metabolic health, regardless of whether you consume it responsibly.
Regular exercise, good quality and quantity of sleep, avoiding tobacco and alcohol, and maintaining a healthy weight will do more than a few cups of coffee to help you stay healthy.
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