When it comes to whether or not to drink five cups of coffee a day, who am I to argue with the American Heart Association? Their latest report finds that around five cups of coffee is safe for most people, and may even be beneficial. But the source of the caffeine matters.
As reported by Science Daily, the study was recently published in the AHA journal Circulation and examines caffeine’s impact on the cardiovascular system. Collating information of other newer studies on the subject, the study found that, for most individuals, drinking up to 400mg caffeine a day, or roughly five eight-ounce cups of black coffee, is generally considered safe. And in fact, it has been shown to be associated with “lower risks of heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and Type 2 diabetes.”
But there is a catch. Not all caffeinated drinks are created equal. Things like energy drinks and concentrated energy shots, for instance, have been associated with “abnormal heart rhythms even in people who are normally considered at low risk for cardiovascular disease, including healthy adults younger than age 30.” Researchers believe this could be due to the caffeine being administered in short, incredibly high doses as well as additional ingredients in energy drinks and bars that help the body absorb caffeine faster. This can speed up caffeine’s effects, resulting in increased blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular harm.
Meanwhile coffee is rich in antioxidants and polyphenols that have been show to decrease inflammation, aiding in the overall positive impact. It’s not all coffee, though. Coffee drinks with added milk and sugar have been correlated with a decreased positive impact. And there are of course outliers like those who metabolize caffeine more slowly.
But for most folks drinking up to five cups of black coffee a day, which is probably a vast majority of the non-dialing-in, non-cupping, non-barista black coffee drinkers, it’s good news and an invitation to keep doing what you’re doing. Which is drink lots of coffee.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
