Morning coffee can protect the heart better than consumption at other hours

Particularly beneficial to health is morning consumption coffee offering protection from cardiovascular disease.

Those who drink coffee in the morning seem to have a lower risk of dying of cardiovascular disease and a lower overall risk of mortality compared to those who drink coffee throughout the day, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal journal.

The study involved 40,725 adults who participated in the US National Health and Nutrition Research in 1999-2018. In the context of the study, participants were asked about all food and drinks, including coffee, which consumed for at least one day. In a subgroup of 1,463 people, they were asked to complete a detailed calendar of food and drinks for one week. The researchers then linked this information to the deaths of deaths and the cause of death for a period of nine to ten years.

About 36% of people involved in the study drank coffee in the morning, 16% drank coffee throughout the day and 48% did not drink coffee. Those who drank coffee in the morning were 16% less likely to die from any cause and 31% less likely to die of cardiovascular disease compared to those who did not drink coffee. This benefit was found both in those who drank moderate amounts of coffee (2-3 cups) and those who made more consumption (more than three cups). Participants who drank a cup or less coffee benefited from a lower risk reduction. On the contrary, there was no reduction in risk for those who drank coffee all day.

Study leader, Lou Ki, Professor at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, USA, points out that “this study does not tell us why coffee consumption in the morning reduces the risk of death from cardiovascular disease. One possible explanation is that consuming coffee in the afternoon or evening can disrupt circades and hormone levels, such as melatonin. This in turn leads to changes in cardiovascular risk factors, such as inflammation and blood pressure. But further studies are needed to validate our findings in other populations, as well as clinical trials to check the possible effects of changing the time interval on the day when people drink coffee. “