A healthy start to the month

Does drinking coffee in the morning protect the heart?

(Bild: Tröster)

Researchers have come to the conclusion: People who drink more coffee in the morning have a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

Previous research suggests that drinking coffee does not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and even appears to reduce the risk of some chronic diseases such as diabetes. Researchers at Tulane University in New Orleans therefore wanted to find out whether the time of day at which you drink coffee has an impact on your health.

They analyzed data from over 40,000 adults as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2018). The results showed that morning coffee drinkers had a 31 percent lower risk of cardiovascular death and a 16 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to non-coffee drinkers. People who drank coffee throughout the day did not have a lower risk compared to non-drinkers.

It's the quantity that counts: more cups, more profit

The study also showed that the risk reduction depended on the amount of coffee: morning coffee drinkers with low consumption (one cup or less) benefited less than people with moderate (two to three cups) and high (more than three cups) consumption.

However, as this is an observational study, only associations and not causal relationships can be established.

So people who only drink coffee in the morning probably have better heart health than people who drink coffee throughout the day or do without it altogether. Even if further studies are needed to clarify why this is the case: enjoy your coffee preferably in the morning!