Study: Drinking Three Cups Of Coffee A Day Can Reduce The Risk Of Stroke And Heart Disease

The researchers examined the relationship between coffee consumption and heart structure, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. (Unsplash/Jessica Lewis)

JAKARTA - Are you a big fan of coffee? There is good news, where a recent study revealed that the habit of sipping the sweet black turned out to have a good effect on the cardiovascular system.

Drinking up to three cups of coffee a day can lower your risk of stroke and fatal heart disease, according to the largest-ever study of the health effects of the popular drink.

Citing Sky News August 28, participants in the study were divided into three groups based on their coffee intake. No coffee was consumed by 22 percent, light to moderate (half a cup to three cups a day) by 58 percent and high (more than three cups a day) by 20 percent.

After adjusting for various other factors that could affect participants' health, the researchers found light to moderate coffee consumption was associated with a 12 percent lower risk of death from any cause, a 17 percent lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and a 21 percent lower risk of stroke.

Coffee illustration. (Unsplash/Nathan Dumlao)

Data for the study was collected from the UK Biobank - a biomedical database that stores genetic and health information on more than 460,000 participants.

Report author Dr. Judit Simon of the Center for the Heart and Vascular at Semmelweis University, Budapest in a presentation of research results before the European Society of Cardiology Congress, said: "To our knowledge, this is the largest study to systematically assess the cardiovascular effects of regular coffee consumption in a population without diagnosed heart disease. ."

"Our results suggest that regular coffee consumption is safe, as even high daily intakes are not associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes and all-cause mortality after a 10 to 15 year follow-up."

"In addition, 0.5 to 3 cups of coffee per day was independently associated with a lower risk of stroke, death from cardiovascular disease and death from any cause."

Illustration of coffee beans and ground coffee. (Unsplash/Zarak Khan)

The researchers examined the relationship between coffee consumption and heart structure, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, said Dr. Simon.

"Imaging analysis showed that, compared with participants who did not drink coffee regularly, daily consumers had healthier heart sizes and better heart function. This is consistent with reversing the detrimental effects of aging on the heart," he explained.

"Our findings suggest that consuming up to three cups of coffee per day is associated with favorable cardiovascular outcomes. While more research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms, the observed benefits may be partly explained by positive changes in heart structure and function."

To note, a study published in June found that drinking up to four cups of coffee a day may help reduce the risk of chronic liver disease.