I know, I know, you’ve heard it before, but the good news keeps pouring in. Coffee is good for your health.
We’ve kept our readers information on coffee and health on this particular subject recently, but it’s nice to see these recent coffee/health developments picked up in other media also.
In STiR, you can refer to “The Advantages of Coffee Brain”, in issue 4, 2021. And, you can read “Drinking Coffee and Tea Linked to Fewer Strokes, in Issue 1 2022. Also, there’s “Coffee and Health: Drinking All Types of Coffee Protects Against Chronic Liver Disease” from Issue 4 2021.
In the news today…
A recent study published by the American College of Cariology (ACC) published a press release “Good News for Coffee Lovers: Daily Coffee May Benefit the Heart”. The study to be presented at ACC’s 71st annual scientific session found that drinking coffee—particularly two to three cups a day—is not only associated with a lower risk of heart disease and dangerous heart rhythms but also with living longer. These trends held true for both people with and without cardiovascular disease. Researchers said the analyses—the largest to look at coffee’s potential role in heart disease and death—provide reassurance that coffee isn’t tied to new or worsening heart disease and may actually be heart protective.
“Because coffee can quicken heart rate, some people worry that drinking it could trigger or worsen certain heart issues,” said Peter M. Kistler, MD, professor and head of arrhythmia research at the Alfred Hospital and Baker Heart Institute in Melbourne, Australia, and the study’s senior author. “This is where general medical advice to stop drinking coffee may come from. But our data suggest that daily coffee intake shouldn’t be discouraged, but rather included as a part of a healthy diet for people with and without heart disease. We found coffee drinking had either a neutral effect—meaning that it did no harm—or was associated with benefits to heart health.”
Kistler and his team used data from the UK BioBank, a large-scale prospective database with health information from over half a million people who were followed for at least 10 years. (This is the same data used in previous stories published in STiR). Researchers looked at varying levels of coffee consumption ranging from up to a cup to more than six cups a day and the relationship with heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias); cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke; and total and heart-related deaths among people both with and without cardiovascular disease.
“Clinicians generally have some apprehension about people with known cardiovascular disease or arrhythmias continuing to drink coffee, so they often err on the side of caution and advise them to stop drinking it altogether due to fears that it may trigger dangerous heart rhythms,” Kistler said. “But our study shows that regular coffee intake is safe and could be part of a healthy diet for people with heart disease.”
So how might coffee beans benefit the heart? People often equate coffee with caffeine, but coffee beans actually have over 100 biologically active compounds. These substances can help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, boost metabolism, inhibit the gut’s absorption of fat and block receptors known to be involved with abnormal heart rhythms, Kistler said.
For the full report, see the press release.
ACC.22 will take place April 2-4, 2022, in Washington, DC, bringing together cardiologists and cardiovascular specialists from around the world to share the newest discoveries in treatment and prevention. Follow @ACCinTouch, @ACCMediaCenter and #ACC22 for the latest news from the meeting.
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https://stir-tea-coffee.com/tea-coffee-news/the-advantages-of-coffee-brain/
https://stir-tea-coffee.com/tea-report/coffee-and-tea-drinking-linked-to-fewer-strokes/