- A new study suggests that moderate consumption of coffee and caffeine on a regular basis may be beneficial in preventing diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
- Compared to people who consumed no or very little caffeine per day, people who drank 3 drinks of coffee per day or 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine per day had a risk of a reduction of 48.1% or 40.7% for “new-start cardiometabolic”. multimorbidity.
- Experts cite some benefits of tea and coffee but caution that other caffeinated beverages may not have the same benefits – and that there is no causal link between prevention Cardiovascular multimorbidity and caffeine.
Moderate regular consumption of coffee and caffeine may help prevent heart disease – or a combination of heart diseases – including conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart attack and stroke, a new study has found. suggest that.
Data from the UK Biobank study included inpatient hospital data, death registry records, primary care history, and reported medical conditions. After eliminating people with ambiguous information about caffeine consumption, the researchers were left with more than 360,000 people for analysis.
This new study found that, compared to people who drank no caffeine at all or drank less than 100 milligrams (mg) per day, people who drank three drinks of coffee per day or 200 to 300 mg of caffeine per day had a 48.1% or 40.7% reduced risk of new heart disease.
Previous studies have examined the potential benefits of coffee, tea and caffeine, but their role in preventing any cardiovascular diseases has not been clearly defined.
The results of this study, too, suggest a correlation rather than a causal relationship.
However, this relationship may be important for health, as people with one heart attack may have twice the risk of dying than those without heart disease, according to the researchers. .
In addition, those with cardiometabolic multimorbidity may also have a seven-fold increased risk of death from all causes. Researchers have also noted that cardiometabolic multimorbidity may present greater risks of weight loss and stress than those with a single disease.
In a press release, Chaofu Ke, MD, PhD, of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China, and lead author of the study, noted that:
“Studies highlight that promoting moderate consumption of coffee or caffeine as a dietary supplement in healthy individuals may have significant preventive benefits. [cardiometabolic multimorbidity].”
Caffeine is associated with a variety of negative effects, including insomnia,
People with type 2 diabetes report that their blood sugar (sugar) rises after consuming caffeine. There is some evidence that caffeine can impair insulin action, leading to a small but noticeable increase in blood sugar, especially after a meal.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that healthy adults limit their caffeine consumption to 400 mg per day, or about 4 or 5 cups of coffee. This amount is not associated with negative consequences.
- one 8-ounce cup of coffee: 95 to 200 mg
- 12-ounce can of cola: 35 to 45 mg
- one 8-ounce energy drink: 70 to 100 mg
- one 8-ounce cup of tea: 14 to 60 mg.
Cheng-Han Chen, MD, a board-certified cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA, who was not involved in the study, said. Medical News Today that, although caffeine has other negative effects such as raising blood pressure, its good properties outweigh its decrease.
“Caffeine itself will stimulate the central nervous system, which leads to an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. It is also known to affect the sensitivity of cells to insulin, the regulation of fat flow and the expansion of blood vessels,” he explained.
However, both coffee and tea are complex beverages with many bioactive compounds, and it is possible that their health effects extend beyond that of caffeine itself. Compounds such as flavonoids, alkaloids, and polyphenols, are thought to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and may be involved in glucose and lipid metabolism,” he added.
“Some of the positive effects seen in the study may be due to the hundreds of other chemicals found in coffee and tea besides caffeine,” Chen continued to note.
MNT also spoke with Melanie Murphy Richter, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian and communications director for the nutritional company Prolon, who was not involved in the study.
Richter said the relationship between caffeine and the cardiovascular system is complex and depends on how much a person consumes:
“Caffeine can temporarily raise blood pressure and cause vasoconstriction (narrowing of the blood vessels), which may have negative effects on heart health. It also has a mild diuretic effect, which can lead to dehydration in some cases. These short-term effects are why some people associate caffeine with adverse effects on the heart.”
“However,” he pointed out, “this study focused on moderate caffeine intake – about 200-300 mg per day, or about 2-3 cups of coffee – and studies show that in this situation, caffeine can have protective benefits in the cardiovascular system.
Regarding the mechanism that may be the basis of this association, Richter also explained that “caffeine can increase insulin sensitivity, which means that the body responds better to insulin, which can help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.”
“It also has anti-inflammatory properties, which are important in preventing chronic conditions such as heart disease. In addition, caffeine can boost fat metabolism, helping the body to use fat more efficiently as a source of energy, which supports metabolic health,” he said.
Chen cautioned that not all caffeinated beverages are created equal, and that some people should avoid caffeine, in general.
“In some caffeinated foods like sodas and chocolate, I suspect that any potential benefit of caffeine would be offset by the high sugar content of those foods,” he said. “We recommend limiting caffeine consumption to people with: uncontrolled blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, depression or anxiety, or those with ulcers in the stomach. Pregnant women should also avoid drinking too much caffeine.”
Richter echoed this advice, saying that the study’s findings about coffee may be due to its antioxidant power, and may not apply as easily to other beverages that contain caffeine.
“Energy drinks or processed caffeine sources may not have the same effects because they lack other active ingredients,” he warned.
“So, if we’re talking about a ‘preferred source’, coffee – especially without added sugar and cream, well – might be a healthy choice, based on these facts,” Richter said. .
However, he also emphasized that:
“There are certain conditions where caffeine [consumption] not a good idea. People with heart disease, for example, should limit caffeine because it can increase heart rate or cause irregular heartbeats. Pregnant women should also be careful because too much caffeine can be dangerous for the development of the baby. And for people with anxiety disorders, caffeine can make them jittery and uncomfortable. “
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