By George Citroner via The Epoch Times (emphasis on us),
What time you drink your coffee can be just as important as how much you drink.
According to new research, morning coffee drinkers had a significantly lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and cancer compared to those who consumed coffee throughout the day.
Impact on mortality risk
A large-scale study published Wednesday in the European Heart Journal tracked more than 40,000 adults over a nearly decade.
The researchers found that there were two types of coffee drinkers: those who drank coffee only in the morning (36 percent of participants) and those who drank coffee throughout the day (about 15 percent).
Compared to people who didn’t drink coffee, morning coffee drinkers had a 16 percent lower risk of death from all causes. The reduction in the risk of cardiovascular death was even more noticeable, with the risk of morning drinkers being 31 percent lower.
In contrast, in people who drank coffee all day, the risk of death was not significantly reduced.
The amount of coffee we drink is also important
The researchers also discovered that the timing of coffee consumption influenced the relationship between the amount of coffee people drank and their mortality risk.
Among the morning type drinkers, both moderate (1-3 cups) and heavy (more than 3 cups) coffee drinkers had the greatest reduction in mortality risk, with moderate drinkers benefiting a little more.
However, this benefit was not observed in coffee drinkers who drank coffee throughout the day. This suggests that drinking coffee in the morning is more beneficial for cardiovascular health and overall longevity than drinking it later during the day.
Possible mechanisms
While the exact mechanism by which drinking coffee in the morning reduces the risk of death from cardiovascular disease remains unclear, afternoon or evening coffee consumption can disrupt circadian rhythms and melatonin levels, Dr. Lu Qi, lead researcher and professor at Tulane’s Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, told The Epoch Times.
These disorders can affect cardiovascular risk factors such as inflammation and blood pressure.
“Previous studies have shown that drinking coffee is associated with a lower risk of mortality and chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and certain cancers,” Qi said. “Our first study shows that coffee drinking time is important in terms of its beneficial effects, and drinking only coffee in the morning can increase the benefits.”
Qi emphasized the importance of considering both the timing and amount of coffee consumption when considering its impact on health outcomes.
He added that further research is needed to confirm these findings in other populations and test the effects of changing the timing of coffee consumption.
