Drinking Coffee Is Actually Good For Your Heart, But There’s A Catch

Drinking up to five cups of coffee per day is safe for most adults and potentially comes with certain heart health benefits, the American Heart Association said in a scientific statement released Monday.

The AHA’s latest research suggests that consuming up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day, equivalent to drinking up to 5, 8-ounce cups of caffeinated coffee daily, is generally safe for most adults and is also seemingly connected to a lower risk of several cardiovascular conditions among some individuals, including heart failure, heart disease and stroke. However, the AHA specified that adding sugar, flavors or cream to coffee “likely reduces its potential health benefits.”

The news comes after some countries previously sought to ban coffee, often citing potential health risks or economic impacts.

Though, higher amounts of caffeine, like the amount found in energy drinks such as energy shots, could potentially increase individuals’ risk of high blood pressure, irregular heart rhythm or arrhythmia, according to the AHA’s scientific statement.

The AHA also notes that further research is “needed to better understand caffeine’s impact on the body, how different sources of caffeine impact heart health and how its impact may vary among different people.”

“Caffeine consumed in coffee is a key part of daily life for millions of people, and in our review of the most recent research, for most adults, intake of up to 400 mg of caffeine/day, the equivalent of up to 5 cups of caffeinated coffee per day without added sugars or fillers, is safe and does not increase cardiovascular risk,” Chair of the scientific statement volunteer writing group and a professor of medicine at the University of California Gregory M. Marcus said in a statement. “However, high doses of caffeine, such as those found in energy drinks including energy shots, may have harmful effects on the heart and should be avoided.”