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Drinking coffee in the morning may reduce the risk of dying from heart disease, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal on Wednesday (January 8). The research, led by Dr. Lu Qi from Tulane University, analyzed data from 40,725 adults in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2018. Participants reported their coffee consumption, including the timing of their intake, and researchers linked this information with mortality records over nearly a decade.
The study found that morning coffee drinkers who consumed coffee primarily before midday had a 31% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared to non-coffee drinkers. In contrast, those who drank coffee throughout the day did not experience the same reduction in risk. The benefits were observed regardless of whether participants drank caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee, and the amount consumed did not significantly alter the results.
Dr. Qi suggested that drinking coffee later in the day might disrupt circadian rhythms and hormone levels, potentially affecting cardiovascular health. He emphasized the need for further studies to validate these findings in other populations and explore the impact of coffee timing on health outcomes.
