Enjoy your morning coffee — it could help you live longer
Coffee drinkers have good news from the biomedical researchers: a morning cup can benefit your heart and help you live longer. However, the timing of consumption matters more than the quantity. While caffeine could be playing a role in boosting health, coffee also contains several bioactive compounds, including anti-inflammatory substances, that work together to protect your heart when consumed in the morning.
According to the first major study examining the health benefits of coffee at different times of the day, those who enjoy their morning coffee reap distinct advantages that are not observed in those who indulge later. Analysing the coffee consumption habits of over 40,000 adults, the research found that morning coffee drinkers were 16% less likely to die from any cause and 31% less likely to succumb to cardiovascular disease over a 10-year period compared to those who abstained.
However, the heart health benefits appeared to fade in individuals who consumed coffee throughout the day, with no significant reduction in mortality found in all-day coffee drinkers.
A news report in The Guardian on Wednesday (January 8) quoting a study published in the European Heart Journal said that morning coffee may be better for heart health than evening consumption, although the reasons remain unclear. One potential explanation is that drinking coffee late in the day can interfere with circadian rhythms and melatonin levels, disrupting sleep, increasing inflammation, and affecting blood pressure—all of which can negatively impact heart health.
The news report quoted Prof. Lu Qi, a nutrition and epidemiology expert at Tulane University in New Orleans, saying; "It’s not just about whether or how much coffee you drink, but when you drink it that matters. "
"We typically don’t advise on timing in our dietary guidelines, but perhaps we should start considering it in the future," Prof. Qi added.
The study drew on the dietary data of 40,725 adults from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which spanned from 1999 to 2018. About 36% of participants drank coffee in the morning, while 16% consumed it later in the day. Whether moderate drinkers (two to three cups) or heavy drinkers, those who had coffee in the morning consistently demonstrated a lower risk of death, with even a single cup offering some benefit. These findings were corroborated by a smaller group of 1,463 participants who kept detailed week-long food and drink diaries.
Quoting Prof. Thomas Lüscher, a consultant cardiologist at London's Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals, The Guardian wrote that many all-day coffee drinkers tend to suffer from poor sleep, with coffee appearing to suppress melatonin, the hormone crucial for sleep.
While caffeine plays a significant role, coffee contains a host of bioactive compounds that influence our physiology. The researchers suggest that substances in the blood that promote inflammation often peak in the morning, and the anti-inflammatory compounds in morning coffee may counteract these effects. This holds true for both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee.
This research builds on a 2022 UK Biobank study, which found that people who drank up to three cups of coffee a day had healthier hearts than those who abstained. The NHS recommends limiting coffee intake to no more than four cups per day to avoid elevated blood pressure, and pregnant women should limit their caffeine intake to 200mg per day to reduce risks of low birth weight and miscarriage. A cup of filter coffee contains about 140mg of caffeine.
In conclusion, Prof. Lüscher states, 'There is now substantial evidence that drinking coffee, particularly in the morning, is likely to be healthy.' So, enjoy your coffee—but make it a morning ritual, as reported by The Guardian.