Coffee and heart: ¿Allies or enemies?
Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages worldwide, with an average of 2 billion cups consumed worldwide.
Some recent studies suggest that consuming 3 to 5 cups of coffee (specialty coffee and no sweeteners) a day reduces the risk of overall mortality and diseases such as type 2 diabetes, and benefits the heart, among others (1).
Chronic noncommunicable diseases cause approximately 41 million deaths annually. This is the largest and leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 71% of all deaths in 2016. Of this group of diseases, cardiovascular diseases are the most significant, causing 17.6% (95% CI, 17.3–18.1) of deaths in people aged 20 and over in the US. This undoubtedly generates high costs for the health system and problems for patients(2).
Continue reading: ¿Why should we talk about coffee and health?
Heartbeats and Coffee: Discover the Connection.
Studies on the effect of coffee drinking and heart health claim that regular consumption of 1 to 4 cups/day reduces the risk of heart disease. (1) Ding et al., in 2014, compared coffee consumption at different doses with non-consumption, and reported a non-linear relationship according to the dose of coffee evaluated. The evaluations ranged from 1 to 2 and up to 6 cups per day, in both cases a decrease in risk was observed, although not statistically significant.
In other studies on coronary heart disease, a decreased risk was observed for both moderate and low consumption. These studies were conducted in the US and Europe.
Coffee and Heart Rate: ¿Is It Safe to Drink It Every Day?
The most recent studies by Ding et al. in 2014 showed overall risk reduction results for consumption between 1-2 cups/day and 3-4 cups/day, corresponding to a risk reduction of 10% and 11%, respectively. Other researchers, such as Carlstrom et al., reported an 18% reduction in the risk of heart disease when independently analyzing women with moderate coffee consumption.
Now, the mechanisms underlying how moderate coffee intake could improve heart health are because coffee may have a cardioprotective effect and because it contains antioxidant substances such as chlorogenic acid and adiponectin, which improve endothelial function and muscle tone. Furthermore, these substances act as vasodilators and promote nitric oxide production.
On the other hand, some studies have found that filtered coffee has an effect on lipid metabolism, decreasing the oxidation of LDL and total cholesterol and increasing HDL levels.
All these studies suggest that low intakes (<150-250 ml/day) and moderate intakes (>150-250 ml/day) have positive cardioprotective effects for heart health. Consumption above 250 ml/day is considered heavy and should be followed by a primary care physician.
Keywords for the heart
- Cardioprotective: Products where evidence has shown that their consumption provides direct benefits to our heart and blood vessels.
- Chlorogenic: A phenolic compound found in plants, fruits, and vegetables. It is characterized by its antioxidant properties and is used in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and agricultural industries.
- Adiponectin: A hormone produced in adipose tissue that has anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitizing effects. Its function is to regulate energy metabolism, stimulate the oxidation of fatty acids, reduce triglycerides in the blood, and improve glucose metabolism.
- Vasodilators: These are medications used to dilate blood vessels and treat conditions such as high blood pressure or heart failure.
- Nitric oxide: A colorless, pungent-smelling gas that occurs naturally in the body. It is a signaling molecule that plays a fundamental role in the nervous, cardiovascular, and immune systems.
- LDL, or low-density lipoprotein, is a type of cholesterol carried in the blood and considered “bad.” High levels increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
- HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, is a type of fat carried in the blood and considered “good.” High HDL levels can help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
You may be interested: Deseases that coffee helps prevent
- Author: Gilberto Pulgarín Marín.
- Collaborating author: Mónica Arboleda M.
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Fuentes:
(1)https://www.fda.gov/consumers/articulos-para-el-consumidor-en-
espanol/al-grano-cuanta-cafeina-es.
(2) https://www.paho.org/es/temas/enfermedades-no-transmisibles.
(3) M. Carlstrom, S.C. Larsson. Coffee consumption and reduced risk of
developing type 2 diabetes: A Systematic review with meta-analysis. Nutr
Rev., 76 (2018), pp. 395-417.
(4) M. Ding, S.N. Bhupathirojo, A. Satija, R.M. Van Dam, FB. Hu. Long-
Term Coffee Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Circulation.
11 Febrero de, 129(2014), pp. 643-659.