No more coffee-shaming. My husband feels guilty when he drinks more than 2 cups of coffee a day. He should not; in fact, he may want to have more. According to a new study, he can remove the cloud of coffee-shame and rejoice in the fact that his caffeine habits could be counteracting inflammation of the heart and its vessels. A study in 2015 found that coffee drinkers (defined as those drinking between one to five cups per day) had lowers risk for all causes of death (“all-cause mortality”) compared with non-coffee drinkers.
Other studies, (such as those in my past blogs )have demonstrated benefits coffee consumption including lowering risks for Alzheimer’s disease. This new study has discovered why coffee benefits health. It turns out that anti-inflammatory properties may be linked to two gene clusters that are lower among coffee consumers. These gene clusters were linked to the production of a protein named IL-1-beta. Older participants with high gene cluster activity were more prone to hardening of the arteries and therefore heart attacks and stroke.
Furthermore, in lab studies, researchers found that caffeine metabolites directly lowered inflammation and there are many more studies to follow.
Be cautious with too much caffeine if you have indigestion, uncontrolled blood pressure, or take any other stimulant medications. Be sure to discuss your caffeine consumption with your medical provider. Otherwise, add another shot: Cheers to your health!