A new paper from the American Heart Association (AHA) says that drinking up to five cups of coffee a day is healthy and drinking coffee regularly may help lower the risk of heart disease.The scientific statement, published in the cardiovascular health journal Circulation, discusses the surprising health benefits that regular coffee consumption can have."Most studies suggest an inverse J-shaped relationship between consumption of naturally occurring caffeinated products and blood pressure. Data on relationships between caffeine and diabetes are not consistent, but habitual coffee consumption has been associated with a lower risk of incident type 2 diabetes," the opening part of the paper reads.The paper also mentions that drinking coffee, in addition to lowering blood pressure and diabetes risk, also helps reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation as well as lower the likelihood of strokes."Randomized controlled trial data among regular caffeinated coffee drinkers showed that caffeinated coffee decreases the risk of atrial fibrillation occurrence but increases the frequency of premature ventricular contractions," the paper reads."Data are fairly consistent that moderate caffeine consumption, again studied primarily in the setting of coffee consumption, was associated with a lower risk of stroke.".The debate about whether or not coffee is actually "good" for you is one that will, presumably, continue forever, but this paper shows that regular consumption of coffee can have positive effects on your general health and your heart health in particular.The paper also mentions how studies have found that similar health effects are not seen from other caffeinated products such as energy drinks, with the opposite effects actually being observed."Data on high doses of caffeine such as that found in energy drinks are limited and generally suggest cardiovascular harm."While the paper does show that regular consumption of coffee can have a positive effect on heart health, coffee drinkers are still encouraged to consult their doctors if they have any worries about the effects that coffee or caffeine may be having on them.
