A recent study found that drinking two to three cups of coffee per day is associated with a longer life and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, compared to non-coffee drinkers.
The study, led by researchers led by Professor Peter Kistler, of the Baker Institute for Heart and Diabetes Research in Australia, was published Tuesday in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
The researchers found that these results applied to ground, instant, and decaffeinated coffee varieties.
Ground, instant and decaffeinated coffee
Professor Kistler, in a press release from the European Society of Cardiology, said that in this large observational study, ground, instant and decaffeinated coffee were associated with a reduction in the incidence of cardiovascular disease and death from cardiovascular disease or any other cause.
"The results suggest that moderate to moderate consumption of instant ground coffee and decaffeinated coffee is part of a healthy lifestyle," Kestler added.
There is little information about the effect of different coffees on heart health and survival. This study examined the associations between coffees, accidental arrhythmias, cardiovascular disease, and death.
Using data from the UK Biobank, which took information from adults aged 40 to 69.
Cardiovascular diseases include coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, and stroke.
The number of coffee cups
The study included 449,563 participants, with an average age of 58 years, 55.3% of whom were women, and had no arrhythmia or other cardiovascular disease at all.
Participants answered a questionnaire asking how many cups of coffee they drink each day, and if they usually drink instant coffee, ground coffee (such as cappuccino or filter coffee) or decaffeinated coffee.
Coffee drinkers were compared with others in terms of arrhythmia, cardiovascular disease, and death, and the median follow-up was 12.5 years.
The study found the following:
Drinking coffee and the risk of death
The greatest reduction in the risk of death was with drinking 2 to 3 cups a day, compared to not drinking coffee, according to the following ratios:
Decaffeinated coffee: 14%
Ground coffee: 27%
Instant coffee: 11%
Coffee and heart disease
The greatest reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease was with drinking two to three cups a day, compared to not drinking coffee, according to the following ratios:
Decaffeinated coffee: 6%
Ground coffee: 20%
Instant coffee: 9%
Coffee and irregular heartbeat
Ground coffee and instant coffee, but not decaffeinated coffee, were associated with a decrease in arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation, when compared to non-coffee drinkers.
The lowest risk was observed with 4 to 5 cups per day for ground coffee and 2 to 3 cups per day for instant coffee, with reduced risks of 17% and 12%, respectively.
Coffee contains more than 100 biologically active ingredients
Professor Kistler said: "Caffeine is the most well-known component of coffee, but it contains more than 100 biologically active ingredients. It is possible that non-caffeine compounds are responsible for the positive relationships observed between coffee drinking and cardiovascular disease and survival."
"Our findings suggest that drinking modest amounts of coffee of all kinds should be encouraged, but that coffee drinking can generally be enjoyed as a heart-healthy behaviour."