Up to 25 cups of coffee a day is considered safe for the heart.
Healthcare in Spain Diet research
High Coffee Consumption Is Safe For Heart Health
What the new research says
While studies in the past have suggested that high coffee consumption can stiffen arteries and, therefore, increase the pressure on the heart, new research has found that drinking up to 25 cups of coffee a day is actually no worse for heart health.
How the study was run
A new study, part-funded by the British Heart Foundation, involved 8,000 participants with results presented at the British Cardiovascular Society. The 8,000 participants were split into three groups. One group that drinks less than one cup of coffee a day, another that drinks between one and three cups of coffee per day and a third group that drink more than three cups of coffee a day.
In the third group, participants ranged from drinking three to 25 cups of coffee a day. However, the average number of cups of coffee a day for this group was five cups of coffee a day.
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Search the directory My quotesNo link to artery stiffening
Across the study, the research found that drinking up to 25 cups of coffee a day did not increase the risk of stiffening of arteries. In fact, these participants were no more likely to have stiffening arteries than those who drank less than one cup of coffee per day.
The study measured the heart health of participants through MRI heart scans as well as infrared pulse wave tests. Health aspects such as smoking status, age and weight were also taken into consideration.
This research shows that coffee may not be as bad for heart health as previous studies may have suggested. Furthermore, the Medical Director of the British Heart Foundation said that this study ruled out the potentially detrimental effects of coffee on arteries.
Weekend cardiac arrests: a related finding
In another heart-related study released recently, researchers at Aston University found that patients admitted to hospital with a cardiac arrest at the weekend did not have a higher risk of death compared to those admitted during the weekdays.
Need to see someone? You can search Sanitas cardiologists by area to find a cardiologist near you.
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Reviewed by Sean Guy, authorised Sanitas agent (agent code 22395) and DGSFP-registered insurance mediator (C0320X5769518Z), Marbella.
Written by the HealthPlan Spain team: English-speaking Sanitas health insurance specialists, helping expats in Spain get the right cover since 2011. Authorised and regulated by the DGSFP.