If your daily coffee intake could give even Lorelai Gilmore a run for her money, you’re going to want to hear this. A new study from the British Heart Foundation says drinking large amounts of coffee won’t stiffen arteries and harm your heart.
There’s a lot of mixed messaging when it comes to the effects of caffeine. While some studies say it’s damaging to your health , causing stiffening of the arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the chance of stroke or heart attack, other research says it’s good for you . The new information from the British Heart Foundation debunks many previous studies and says people who drink up to 25 cups a day aren’t associated with having stiffer arteries.
The study featured more than 8,000 people in the UK. Coffee consumption was categorized into three groups for the study: those who drink less than one cup a day; those who drink between one and three cups a day; and those who drink more than three. People who consumed more than 25 cups of coffee a day were excluded, but there was no increased stiffening of arteries associated with those who drank this much when compared with those who drank less than one cup a day.
Participants underwent MRI heart scans and infrared pulse wave tests. The research showed that moderate and heavy coffee drinkers were most likely to be male, smoke and consume alcohol regularly.
“What we found was that drinking more than three cups of coffee a day did not significantly increase the stiffness of blood vessels compared to people who drink one cup or less a day,” Kenneth Fung, lead data analysis for the study, tells CNN . “The main message for people to take away from this is that coffee can be enjoyed as part of a healthy lifestyle, and coffee lovers can be reassured by this result in terms of blood vessel stiffness outcomes.”
While some participants did claim to drink 25 cups a day, the average intake among the highest consumption of coffee was about five cups a day, according to CNN. The study’s researchers aren’t encouraging people to drink an excessive amount of coffee every day, but merely ensuring them that drinking more than one cup a day, excluding pregnant women, isn’t detrimental to their health. If you have a baby on the way, be sure to stick to the doctor-recommended caffeine guidelines —don’t worry, you can still get your fill.
