Is Coffee Good for My Heart?

Coffee Can Extend Heart Health

As if we need any more reasons to support our coffee consumption, let’s go ahead and add our hearts to the list. That’s right, we put our heart and soul into making our cup of joe, and it’s only fair that it returns the favor and gives us a little something to add to our lives, too. 

Coffee has long been a very important part of many people’s daily lives. Besides its great taste, ability to wake us up and hone in our mental sharpness, previous research has suggested that coffee's caffeine content, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties may be the root of its health benefits. That's because coffee boosts our metabolisms, improves mental health and brain function, strengthens bone and tissue, as well as decreases the risk of some cancers, Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and dementia.  

[Photo Credit: Byron Breytenbach via Unsplash]

But despite these health benefits, coffee has gotten somewhat of a bad rap in the past. Some people worry that coffee might inspire heart issues because of caffeine’s ability to speed up the heart rate. As a result, even some doctors have suggested people stop drinking it.  

The Benefits of Drinking 2-3 Cups a Day

But studies now show that drinking coffee—two to three cups a day—is great for your heart and may actually protect it. That daily ritual of yours has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, heart failure, heart rhythm problems or dying early by 10-15%. That's true for people with or without cardiovascular disease.  

The research focused on varying levels of coffee drinking, from no cups to over five cups each day. Overall, drinking two to three cups every day showed the greatest benefit. The risk of stroke or heart-related death was lowest for people who drank only one cup of coffee a day. And more important, drinking any amount of coffee wasn’t linked to a higher risk of heart rhythm problems but actually lowered the risk of death compared to non-coffee drinkers. 

All of this means that daily coffee consumption shouldn’t be discouraged at all—instead, coffee drinking is safe and should be included as part of a healthy diet for everybody—particularly those with heart disease. Remember—coffee drinks with added sugars and dairy products high in fat can end up dangerous instead of healthy. So grab that mug and brew a plain, black cup of the World’s Strongest Coffee. Your tastebuds will thank you, and it may add some color to that cold, black heart of yours. 

Related: Do Coffee Drinkers Live Longer?