Drinking coffee and consuming caffeine regularly, in moderate amounts, may help protect against developing serious health conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. This was revealed in new research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
The study suggests that having a few cups of coffee or a moderate amount of caffeine each day could reduce the risk of suffering from multiple cardiometabolic diseases at the same time.
Cardiometabolic diseases refer to a group of conditions that affect the heart and metabolism, including diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. When a person has two or more of these conditions at once, it is known as cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CM).
With populations aging worldwide, more people are experiencing these multiple health issues simultaneously, which is becoming a significant concern for public health.
The study’s findings suggest that coffee and caffeine could play a key role in protecting against these diseases.
According to Dr. Chaofu Ke, the lead author of the study, consuming three cups of coffee or 200-300 mg of caffeine daily may reduce the chances of developing cardiometabolic multimorbidity in individuals who are currently healthy and do not have any of these conditions.
The research team analyzed data from the UK Biobank, which is a large and comprehensive study involving more than 500,000 participants aged 37 to 73 years.
They focused on 172,315 participants who were free of any cardiometabolic diseases at the start of the study for caffeine analysis and 188,091 for coffee and tea consumption analysis.
The participants’ health outcomes were tracked through their self-reported medical history, primary care records, hospital data, and death records linked to the UK Biobank.
The results showed that people who drank moderate amounts of coffee or consumed moderate amounts of caffeine had a significantly lower risk of developing multiple cardiometabolic diseases.
Compared to those who drank little or no coffee or caffeine, moderate coffee drinkers had a 48.1% reduced risk of developing CM, while moderate caffeine consumers had a 40.7% reduced risk.
The protective effect of coffee and caffeine was observed at almost every stage of the development of these diseases, meaning that these substances could be beneficial even before any symptoms appear.
This could make coffee and caffeine an important part of a healthy lifestyle for preventing these serious conditions.
This study adds to a growing body of evidence showing the health benefits of coffee and caffeine. Previous studies have shown that drinking coffee or tea and consuming caffeine can lower the risk of single cardiometabolic diseases, such as diabetes or heart disease.
However, this research is among the first to investigate how these drinks might protect against developing multiple cardiometabolic diseases at the same time.
The study highlights the importance of moderate coffee or caffeine consumption as part of a balanced diet.
While too much caffeine can have negative effects, moderate intake appears to offer significant health benefits, especially for those looking to prevent multiple cardiometabolic conditions. This could be particularly important for aging populations, who are at higher risk of developing these conditions.
In summary, if you enjoy your daily cup of coffee, this research suggests that you might be doing your heart and overall health a favor. By sticking to moderate amounts, you may reduce your risk of serious health conditions and enjoy better health as you age.
This finding is particularly relevant in today’s world, where the number of people suffering from multiple health issues is on the rise. So, next time you sip your coffee, remember that it might be more than just a morning ritual—it could be a small step toward a healthier future.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies that pomace olive oil could help lower blood cholesterol, and honey could help control blood sugar.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that blueberries strongly benefit people with metabolic syndrome, and results showing eggs in a plant-based diet may benefit people with type 2 diabetes.
The research findings can be found in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.