People who drink coffee especially in the morning are less likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those who don’t drink it or who drink it all day. This is what a study published Wednesday in the European Health Journal indicates.
For this studyscientists from Tulane University in the United States analyzed data from more than 40,000 adults who participated in the American “National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey” between 1999 and 2018.
The results showed that morning coffee drinkers had a 31% lower risk of cardiovascular death and a 16% lower risk of overall mortality compared to people who did not drink coffee.
In contrast, no health benefits were seen in study participants who drank coffee throughout the day. As for why the timing of coffee consumption plays a role, the hypothesis is that drinking coffee in the afternoon or evening disrupts the internal biological clock and thus negates the positive effects.
>> Read also: Two new studies point to the benefits of coffee consumption
Two to three cups are ideal
The positive effect of drinking coffee in the morning was most evident among people consuming between two and three cups of coffee. But those who consumed more than three cups each morning also benefited from positive effects on mortality risk.
In people who consumed between one and two cups of coffee each morning, the positive effects were also measurable, but weaker. According to the authors, further studies would be necessary to validate the results in other population groups.
As this is an observational study, only associations and not cause-and-effect relationships can be noted, emphasizes Thomas Lüscher of the University of Zurich in a commentary accompanying the study.
Positive effects on the risk of depression
This shows that people who drink coffee in the morning are less likely to die from cardiovascular disease, but it could not prove that coffee consumption was really the cause. Factors such as differences in lifestyle and eating habits may have influenced the results, according to Thomas Lüscher.
The researcher believes, however, that the study has strong points: for example the large number of participants and a follow-up duration of almost a decade. In addition, previous studies have already demonstrated the positive effects of coffee on the risk of depression, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. The recommendation therefore remains the same: “Drink your coffee, but do it in the morning,” concludes the cardiologist.
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