Coffee is a great beverage of choice for active people. It tastes great—and gives you a kickstart in the morning. Plus, research shows there are many short- and long-term health benefits of moderate coffee consumption—including improvements in metabolism, blood sugar, cancer risk, and cognitive function.
Yet, somehow, despite this strong science on the benefits of coffee, there’s still a persistent myth that drinking it’s bad for your heart.
Thankfully, a new study conducted by researchers with the University of California should help set the record straight…
Caffeine in coffee still worries some
Most of the concern about drinking coffee relates specifically to caffeine—just one of hundreds of different natural constituents found in coffee. In fact, many doctors still worry that the caffeine in coffee can cause an arrhythmia, which occurs when the heart beats improperly—either too fast, too slowly, or erratically. There is also specific concern about two dangerous types of arrhythmias: atrial fibrillation (a-fib) and rapid heartbeat.
With a-fib, one of the heart’s chambers doesn’t contract (or beat) effectively. Instead, it wriggles around like a bag of worms (fibrillation). As a result, blood can pool in the heart chamber, leading to dangerous blood clots, cardiac arrest, or stroke.
With overly rapid heartbeats, there isn’t enough time in between beats for the heart to fill with blood, so not enough of it gets pumped out into the rest of the body. As a result, it can lead to “high output” heart failure
So, the new study I mentioned looked specifically at the effect of coffee on the risk of developing these two types of arrhythmias. And here’s what they found…
Five cups a day helps keep the cardiologist away
For this new study, researchers analyzed data on nearly 300,000 participants enrolled in U.K. Biobank—a long-term study in the United Kingdom. The participants’ average age was 57 years at the study’s outset.
During a five-year follow-up period, more than 13,000 people experienced an arrhythmia, including 4,700 who specifically experienced a-fib and 1,500 who experienced a rapid heartbeat.
It turns out, drinking up to five cups of coffee per day actually reduced the risk for experiencing any of these heartbeat abnormalities. Plus, there was a strong dose-response effect. Which means the more coffee the participants drank, the lower their arrhythmia risk. Specifically, there was a 3 percent risk reduction for each additional cup of coffee consumed.
Of course, regular, long-term coffee consumption also lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke. (Which may, in part, occur because, as this study now suggests, it reduces abnormal heartbeats.)
By contrast, research links excessive exercise (or what I call “excess-ercise”) to an increased risk of cardiovascular problems, including arrhythmia. It also leads to more rapid heartbeats, which can cause cardiac strain and abnormal rhythms.
Time to jump off the coffee-bashing bandwagon
In an interview with U.S. News & World Report, Dr. Laurence Epstein, Director of Electrophysiology at Northwell Health in Manhasset, New York, (where my wife grew up), commented on the study’s findings, saying, “I think what the public needs to do is to understand what research studies show and don’t show. What this study shows is that people who drank coffee had a lower risk of heart rhythm problems.”
Of course, it would also help if more doctors and other so-called health “experts” could indeed, “understand what research studies show and don’t show” when it comes to coffee consumption…instead of blindly blaming it for all kinds of ills!
Just remember, artificial energy drinks and sports drinks made with artificially added caffeine are a different beast completely. In these unnatural concoctions, the caffeine acts as a stimulant and can lead to cardiac abnormalities, as I reported years ago. In fact, I recommend against drinking any artificial canned or bottled beverage, as they all lead to health problems over the long-term.
Instead, just enjoy a few cups of black coffee throughout the day. Or—if you prefer—add a little organic whole milk or half-and-half. The coffee will boost your energy and mental focus. And—as this study suggests—reduce your risk of suffering from some serious heart problems.
Just remember to skip the creamers made with sugar or artificial sweeteners.
P.S. For more insight into natural ways to protect your heart as you get older, I encourage you to check out my Heart Attack Prevention and Repair Protocol. This innovative, online learning tool outlines the natural, heart-healing pathway to low blood pressure, a stroke-free brain, and never taking a dangerous heart medication again. To learn more, or to enroll today, click here now!
Source:
“Drink Up! Coffee Won’t Harm Your Heart, Study Finds.” U.S. News and World Report, 5/7/20. (usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2020-05-07/drink-up-coffee-wont-harm-your-heart-study-finds)