The common hot drink has a range of potential health benefits
A popular morning beverage may deliver more than simply a caffeine boost. Cardiologist José Abellán revealed in his latest video that consuming the drink regularly could help people “live longer and have fewer cardiovascular diseases”.
José Abellán stated according to La Vanguardia: “People who drink up to five cups of coffee a day have a lower risk of suffering a cardiovascular event”. The expert outlined, according to AS: “Coffee provides bioactive compounds such as chlorogenic acids, which are a group of antioxidant compounds that have various health benefits, diterpenes, triogoneline, phenolic acids, melanoidins, and minerals like magnesium and potassium.”
Combined, these compounds are what make us feel alert, concentrated and energised following a cup of coffee. Abellán advised maintaining around four cups of coffee per day as a “safe threshold” for most people, with evidence indicating this quantity could protect your heart and prolong your life.
He also pointed to evidence suggesting filtered coffee may be optimal for lowering cardiovascular risk, as it can remove compounds associated with increased cholesterol.
The cardiologist added: “Those who drink it regularly live longer and have fewer cardiovascular diseases. Current data suggest that it can be part of a perfectly healthy lifestyle as long as it is consumed in moderation and individual caffeine intolerance and health conditions are taken into account.”
Coffee does prompt a temporary rise in blood pressure and heart rate, which can trigger complications, but the expert advised people to simply avoid it if they’re experiencing side effects like heart palpitations.
Several recent studies have spotlighted the potential underlying health benefits of coffee. Research in November discovered that people may be able to slow their biological ageing if they drink a maximum of four cups of coffee each day.
It found that people with a severe mental illness may particularly benefit and could gain an extra five biological years.
A separate study last September in the British Journal of Nutrition also revealed that combining daily coffee consumption with a mix of tea and water, too, could lower your risk of death from all causes.
The researchers suggested having coffee and tea daily in a ratio of 2:3 cups, and supplementing with water to have a total of seven to eight cups a day. Once people reached nine or more cups a day, this was associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular mortality.
However, these scientists encouraged people to focus on just getting enough fluids to start with, around seven to eight drinks a day. Most adults aren’t getting the amount of fluids they need.
Once you’re consistently consuming sufficient fluids, the researchers then suggested substituting plain water with a combination of coffee and tea. The scientists did concede that their research had certain limitations.
Specifically, the study cannot confirm that consuming these beverages resulted in this decreased mortality risk, but only that there is an observational correlation.