25 cups of coffee a day can be safe for heart health, research finds

Previous studies have suggested that numerous cups of coffee per day can be dangerous for your health.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But a new study conducted by Queen Mary University of London indicates that coffee is not as bad for your arteries as previously thought.

“Coffee stiffens arteries”

Some studies conducted in the past have suggested that coffee stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke.

However, this new research, part-funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and involving more than 8,000 people across the UK, found that drinking five cups a day, and even up to 25, was no worse for arteries than drinking less than a cup a day.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A new study conducted by Queen Mary University of London indicates that coffee is not as bad for your arteries as previously thought (Photo: Shutterstock)

New research

The new research, saw experts divide 8,412 people into three groups. The first group was made up of those who drink less than one cup of coffee a day.

The second included those who drink between one and three cups a day, and the third was those who drink more than three per day.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Although some people in the third group drank up to 25 cups a day, the average number for people in this group was five cups a day.

All the participants in this study, which is being presented at the British Cardiovascular Society conference in Manchester, underwent MRI heart scans and infrared pulse wave tests.

Factors such as age, weight and smoking status were taken into account.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Dr Kenneth Fung, from QMUL, said: “Despite the huge popularity of coffee worldwide, different reports could put people off from enjoying it.

“Whilst we can’t prove a causal link in this study, our research indicates coffee isn’t as bad for the arteries as previous studies would suggest.”

Prof Metin Avkiran, associate medical director at the BHF, said the study “rules out one of the potential detrimental effects of coffee on our arteries”.

This article was originally published on our sister site, Lancashire Evening Post.