Latte, cappuccino or a cup of black, a coffee in the morning is essential for many people who want to start their day. But while the humble coffee is a vital feature of the daily grind, how much is too much? While the pros and cons of drinking coffee have been debated for decades, new research from the University of South Australia reveals that six or more cups of coffee a day can be harmful to your health, raising your risk of heart disease by as much as 22 percent. increased.
In Australia, one in six people suffers from cardiovascular disease. It is a leading cause of death with a person dying from the disease every 12 minutes. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death, but one of the most preventable, according to the World Health Organization.
Examining the association of long-term coffee consumption and cardiovascular disease, the researchers say their study confirms the point at which excess caffeine can cause high blood pressure, a precursor to heart disease. This is the first time that an upper limit has been set for safe coffee consumption and cardiovascular health.
“Coffee is the most commonly used stimulant in the world – it wakes us up, boosts our energy and helps us focus – but people are always asking, 'How much caffeine is too much?', says the researcher.
“Most people would agree that if you drink a lot of coffee, you might feel jittery, irritable, or maybe even nauseous — that's because caffeine helps your body work faster and harder, but it's also likely that you think you might be have reached your limit.
“We also know that the risk of cardiovascular disease increases with high blood pressure, a known consequence of excessive caffeine consumption.
“To maintain a healthy heart and blood pressure, people need to limit their coffee to less than six cups a day — based on our data, six was the tipping point where caffeine started to negatively affect cardiovascular risk.”
Using data from 347,077 participants aged 37-73 years, the study examined the ability of the caffeine metabolizing gene (CYP1A2) to better process caffeine and identify increased cardiovascular disease risks in line with coffee consumption and genetic variations.
The researcher says that despite the fact that carriers of the fast-processing gene variation are four times faster at metabolizing caffeine, the research does not support the belief that these people could safely consume more caffeine, more often, without adverse health effects.
“Knowing the limits of what's good for you and what's not is necessary.” “As with many things, it's all about moderation, overdoing it and your health will pay for it.”
