Many of us wouldn’t dream of starting the day without a cup of coffee. Whether black and bitter or thick and creamy, many associate the taste of coffee with the dawn.
Caffeine is not easily put into the category of ‘healthy’ or ‘unhealthy’. For example, on the one hand, a recent study suggests that caffeine could lower cancer risk. Another, however, suggested caffeine could damage heart health.
The latest development throws another spanner in the works. Drinking coffee in the morning, it suggests, could actually be good for cardiovascular health. But only under certain circumstances.
Does coffee consumption improve cardiovascular health?
The study, which took place between 1999 and 2018, included a sample size of 40,725 individuals, and a sub-group of 1,463 individuals who completed a food diary. The sample consisted of 36% morning coffee drinkers (specifically between 4am and 11:59), 16% who had their coffee throughout the day, and 48% who did not consume the popular caffeinated beverage.
The study found that those who consumed coffee in the morning were less likely to die (during the study) of any cause, and even more significantly less likely to die of cardiovascular disease. Morning coffee drinking was not, however, associated with a decrease in the risk of cancer-linked death.
It was different when it came to all-day coffee drinking. This was not associated either positively or negatively with premature death.
To hammer the point home, those who drank two or more cups in the morning, even heavy coffee drinkers who consumed three or more cups, benefitted. Those who drank only one cup of coffee each morning reaped the same benefit, but to a lesser extent.
These results did not change even when adjusted for tea and caffeinated sodas, or for short sleep duration and trouble sleeping.
While the study did not give a conclusive reason as to why this might be, its lead author, Dr Lu Qi, speculated that it may be because coffee later on in the day has the potential to disrupt one’s circadian rhythms, as well as levels of hormones such as melatonin, which in turn leads to cardiovascular risk factors like inflammation and a high blood pressure.
Trends in coffee
Coffee remains a popular beverage around the world. According to a recent study by the company Deloitte, however, rising prices are changing consumer habits.
The study, which assessed coffee consumption in 13 countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, and Switzerland, found that more than half (55%) of respondents have been led by rising prices to brew coffee at home more frequently.
Instant coffee is the preferred choice at home, with around 39% of respondents consuming it globally.
Sourced From: European Heart Journal
‘Coffee drinking timing and mortality in US adults’
Published on: 8 January 2025
Doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-024-01870-z
Authors: X. Wang, H. Ma, Q. Sun, J. Li, Y. Heianza, R. M. Van Dam, F. B. Hu, E. Rimm, J. E. Manson, L. Qi