Does Coffee Really Decrease Heart Attack Risk?

Good news for people who drink coffee every day: Consuming a moderate amount of coffee could lower the risk of clogged arteries that can lead to a heart attack, a new study finds.

It was once thought that drinking coffee could make you more prone to heart attacks, but a growing body of evidence suggests the habit has a neutral or beneficial effect on cardiovascular health. But first, here are a few myths about America’s favorite drink, debunked.

Coffee Facts and Fictions

1. Coffee is addictive – True and False. This depends on your interpretation of “addictive.” Coffee contains caffeine, which stimulates your nervous system. Although regular consumption is associated with a mild physical dependence, experts agree it bears no similarity to dependency on drugs or alcohol. The rich taste of coffee is what most people are drawn to which is why places like The Darkest Roast love to show everyone how delicious coffee is!
2. Coffee can aid weight loss – The caffeine in coffee stimulates the metabolic rate by as much as 11 percent, and also serves as an appetite suppressant. So it is definitely no wonder that many people are looking to purchase a coffee machine. In fact, this guide will help you decide which is the best if you are also looking to purchase a coffee machine of your own. Aside from burning calories coffee consumption is linked to fat oxidation, the process by which your body breaks down fat as a source of energy. For those of you who are watching what you eat, drinking coffee may give your weight loss efforts a nice extra boost.
3. Too much coffee may increase the risk of death – False. The Harvard School of Public Health has found no correlation between coffee consumption and an increased risk of death. Still, how much coffee is too much? Generally speaking, it’s safe to consume about 400 mg of caffeine daily, which is a lot considering the average American gets about 200 mg in the about 3 cups of coffee they drink every day.
4. Coffee during the day interferes with sleep at night – It takes about four to five hours for your body to flush out the caffeine from coffee. Unless you are highly sensitive to caffeine, a few cups during the day should not affect your sleep. However, it’s probably best to avoid coffee about six hours before bedtime. But for coffee lovers who must have their coffee at all times of the day, try Counting Sheep Coffee, it’s coffee that helps induce sleep, for a restful night and productive day!
5. Coffee helps fight certain diseases – Studies indicate that by drinking a certain amount of coffee daily you can cut your risk of colon and breast cancer, Type-2 Diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Additionally, coffee is proven to ease headaches, combat depression, and according to a recent Harvard Study it may lower the suicide risk in men and women by as much as 50 percent.

Which, leads us right into the study. Since other studies have indicated coffee can cut risk of other illnesses and diseases, it was only a matter of time until one of those studies focused specifically on heart disease.

The Study

The study of healthy young adults in Korea found that, compared with people who didn’t drink coffee, those who drank three to five cups of java per day had a lower risk of having calcium deposits in their coronary arteries, which is an indicator of heart disease.

“The average coffee consumption of those in the study was 1.8 cups per day, and 13.4 percent of all the participants had detectable levels of CAC. The people who drank three to five cups of coffee daily had about 40 percent less calcium in their arteries than those who drank no coffee, according to the study. Those who drank one to three cups daily had 35 percent less calcium than those who didn’t drink coffee, and those who drank one cup a day had 23 percent less calcium. The people in the study who drank five or more cups a day had 19 percent less calcium, compared with those who drank no coffee.”

So, if you’re a regular coffee connoisseur – Drink Up! And if you’re not, maybe start weening yourself onto to the stuff! If you’re interested in getting some more check out www.ironandfire.co.uk. They an awesome range of coffee.

Sources:

1. http://www.livescience.com/50012-coffee-heart-attack-risk.html. 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day may lower risk of heart attacks.
2. http://www.livescience.com/43532-is-coffee-bad-for-you.html. Is coffee bad for you?
3. http://www.livescience.com/9295-cups-coffee-day-slash-diabetes-risk.html. Four Cups of Coffee a Day Slash Diabetes Risk in Half.
4. http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/heart-failure/news/20120626/coffee-in-moderation-may-lower-heart-failure-risk. Coffee in Moderation May Lower Heart Failure Risk – Two Cups a Day Linked With Best Effect, Researchers Say, but Excessive Drinking Linked With Ill Effects.
5. http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/mar/03/coffee-drinking-may-prevent-heart-attacks-study. Three to five cups of coffee a day may prevent heart attacks, says study.
6. http://coffeeandhealth.org/topic-overview/coffee-consumption-and-coronary-heart-disease-risk/. Coffee consumption and coronary heart disease risk.
7. http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2015/03/03/study-drinking-coffee-can-reduce-risk-of-heart-attack/. Study: Drinking Coffee Can Reduce Risk Of Heart Attack.
8. http://m.heart.bmj.com/content/early/2015/02/06/heartjnl-2014-306663. Coffee consumption and coronary artery calcium in young and middle-aged asymptomatic adults.
9. http://europe.newsweek.com/drinking-five-cups-coffee-day-reduces-risk-heart-attacks-310602. Drinking Three Cups of Coffee a Day Reduces Risk of Heart Attacks.
10. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/09/30/5-coffee-myths-debunked/. 5 Coffee Myths Debunked.
11. http://countingsheepcoffee.com/. Counting Sheep Coffee.

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