A 2021 large-scale study presented at the annual European Society of Cardiology (ESC) shows that your coffee drinking habit does much more than wake you up and get you running in the morning. It could also save you from heart troubles in the future!
Researchers found that moderate coffee intake (0.5–3 cups of coffee per day) reduces your risk of heart disease by 17% and the risk of stroke by a staggering 21%! What’s more, regular intake can help you lower overall your risk of mortality by 12%.
There’s little room for skepticism about this research, given it’s the largest of this kind so far. Namely, 468,628 UK adults of an average age of 56.2 years were a part of it, thanks to the biomedical database and research resource—UK Biobank.
The research team took into account risky behaviors like drinking alcohol, smoking, and low physical activity. The results were also adjusted for high body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and socioeconomic status.
Still, the results were clear. Coffee drinkers had better cardiovascular health than non-drinkers in the 11-years follow-up period. Cardiac MRI scans of 30,650 participants were performed to confirm it. And all showed healthier hearts.
Remember this the next time you start feeling guilty about that third cup of coffee. Science has your back. So, turn on your trusty espresso machine, pour yourself a cup, drink up and enjoy!