Latest Study Says Caffeinated Drinks Will Cut Your Chances Of Heart Disease And Diabetes By 50%
“Caffeine intake at different doses could have different health effects,” said the study’s co-lead author, Chaofu Ke, who is an associate professor in the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at Soochow University in China.
The people that were studied for this (ages 37 to 73) didn’t have any history of cardiometabolic diseases, and they were followed up with 12 years later.
That’s when the study found out that those who sipped on about 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine daily were at a lower risk of cardiometabolic diseases.
The coffee drinkers had a 50% reduction, while those who drank tea or a combination were about 40% less likely to be at risk.
The people who did end up having cardiomatbolic diseases were at a lower risk of developing another type if they drank moderate amounts of coffee daily.
“Moderate caffeine intake may regulate levels of these metabolites,” Ke said.
The Bottom Line
Dr. Luke Laffin, co-director of the Center for Blood Pressure Disorders at Cleveland Clinic, noted that the findings had to be looked at more thoroughly.
“It can give us an idea, but we can’t draw any conclusions,” said Laffin, who wasn’t involved with the research. “Everything in moderation is probably the best way to do it. If someone is having a couple cups of coffee a day, this suggests that dose might be protective.”
He also warned that “too many cups of coffee can raise blood pressure in someone who already has hypertension.”
Coffee can come in various forms. Some like it black, sugary, syrupy, full of whipped cream, or with artificial sweeteners. Dr. Stephen Kopecky, a preventative cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, added, “The message I don’t want to get out there is that caffeine is good, so let’s take more of it. We have never found that taking what is good in the diet and putting it in a pill is equally beneficial.”
It's also important to remember that the study only focused on people who most likely drank simple green tea or black tea and coffee.
Laffin added, "People need to be scrupulous about what else is in their coffee aside from caffeine," Laffin said.
"If you are going to your favorite coffee shop and ordering a coffee with whipped cream and sugary syrup, you’re consuming a lot of calories, which can contribute to cardiometabolic disease."