Exact time of the day you should drink your coffee for a healthier heart

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Discover the optimal moment to enjoy your coffee for the best heart health benefits, according to a new study. Current research indicates that drinking coffee in the morning slashes overall mortality risk compared to sipping it at other times during the day.

The study was detailed in the European Heart Journal and led by Dr Lu Qi, HCA Regents Distinguished Chair and Professor at the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, USA. It carefully observed 40,725 adults from 1999 to 2018.

Dr Lu Qi provided insight on the matter: "Research so far suggests that drinking coffee doesn't raise the risk of cardiovascular disease, and it seems to lower the risk of some chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes".

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He added, "Given the effects that caffeine has on our bodies, we wanted to see if the time of day when you drink coffee has any impact on heart health."

Coffee mug with drink inside
Studies indicate having your coffee in the morning is healthier than having it at any other time of the day -Credit:Getty Images

Participants then disclosed details about their diet, including coffee consumption habits, which researchers matched with mortality records to draw conclusions.

Notably, 36% were habitual morning coffee consumers, 16% drank coffee throughout the day, while 48% did not partake in coffee drinking. Findings revealed that compared to non-coffee drinkers, those who consumed it in the morning had a 16% reduced chance of death from any cause and a substantial 31% decrease in the likelihood of dying due to cardiovascular ailments.

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However, the reduction in risk did not extend to all-day coffee drinkers.

The study found that both moderate (two to three cups) and heavy (more than three cups) morning coffee drinkers experienced lower risks, while light morning drinkers saw a slight decrease in risk. "This is the first study testing coffee drinking timing patterns and health outcomes.

"Our findings indicate that it's not just whether you drink coffee or how much you drink, but the time of day when you drink coffee that's important. We don't typically give advice about timing in our dietary guidance, but perhaps we should be thinking about this in the future", said Dr Lu Qi.

Hand holding coffee mug
Both moderate and heavy morning drinkers saw the benefits, if compared to all-day drinkers -Credit:Getty Images

He explained: "This study doesn't tell us why drinking coffee in the morning reduces the risk of death from cardiovascular disease. A possible explanation is that consuming coffee in the afternoon or evening may disrupt circadian rhythms and levels of hormones such as melatonin. This, in turn, leads to changes in cardiovascular risk factors such as inflammation and blood pressure."

"Further studies are needed to validate our findings in other populations, and we need clinical trials to test the potential impact of changing the time of day when people drink coffee", he concluded.