Do you know the effects of caffeine and coffee on your heart? – Have you ever heard that consuming coffee may extend your life? Yes, you read it correctly. Your coffee-drinking habits may reduce your chance of passing away, but only in the proper amounts.
Caffeinated coffee can reduce the risk of heart failure, stroke, and coronary heart disease, making it less likely that coffee users will pass away from any of these conditions. This gives coffee consumers yet another reason to feel good about drinking a cup of coffee. Find out more in this article.
How would you determine if your heart health is excellent?
Your ability to maintain your physical health as a whole depends on having a strong heart. Worldwide, 17.9 million individuals pass away from cardiovascular disorders each year (CVDs). These illnesses mostly consist of rheumatic heart disease, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and other ailments.
So how can you tell whether the heart that needs to be cared for is indeed healthy? The quickest and most straightforward approach to determine if you have good heart health is to check your blood pressure. Normal blood pressure is a symptom of a heart that is healthy. People with high blood pressure have systolic pressures of 130 or even higher, while the normal range is below 120/90 mm Hg.
Additionally, you may check your heart rate by using various cell phones, smart watches, or fitness trackers to monitor it. Adults typically have a resting heart rate between 60 and 100 beats per minute. A lower heart rate while at rest also indicates that your heart is in good health.
Another method of determining whether your heart is healthy is to check your cholesterol. Every so often, make sure to get your cholesterol levels tested. Adults should have cholesterol levels of less than 200 mg/dL, borderline high cholesterol levels of 200 to 239 mg/dL, and high cholesterol levels of at least 240 mg/dL.
The Effects of Caffeine on Heart Health
It appears that caffeine, a safe drug, keeps us awake, energized, and aware. Caffeinated coffee has positive effects on heart health when consumed in moderation. On the other side, consuming too much coffee or becoming dependent on it might be harmful to your heart.
Benefits of caffeine in coffee for your heart
The good news is that evidence contradicts some people’s beliefs about how caffeine use affects heart health. Caffeinated coffee can increase heart rate, which some people feel might initiate or aggravate heart disease. According to a study, coffee may have neutral or beneficial impacts on a person’s heart health.
If you consume two or three cups of caffeinated coffee every day, it can be quite healthy for you. Due to coffee’s ability to boost cardiovascular health by 10% to 20%, you keep your heart healthy by doing this. Some cardiovascular benefits include a reduced risk of developing coronary heart disease, heart failure, heart rhythm problems, and death for any reason.
Additionally, coffee beans are nutrient-rich and can benefit your general health. Coffee beans contain more than 100 physiologically active substances that can
- enhance insulin sensitivity,
- increase metabolism,
- reduce oxidative stress and inflammation,
- slow down the absorption of fat in the stomach, and
- block receptors that cause irregular heartbeats.
Coffee may save you from conditions like cancer and stroke.
Regular caffeine use may also be linked to a slower rate of cognitive loss in elderly people. Caffeine-containing coffee consumption can reduce Parkinson’s disease risk by four to eight times. It may also lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in later life.
The chance of acquiring Alzheimer’s disease and dementia when you are in your 70s can be reduced by up to 70% if you acquire a good caffeine habit in your 40s and 50s, which generally involves consuming three to five cups of caffeinated coffee.
One of the most deadly cardiovascular illnesses, stroke really claims the lives of 14 million individuals globally each year. There are over 50 million stroke survivors who will always have some form of disability. Unexpectedly, consuming caffeinated coffee every day can reduce stroke risk by 25%, especially for elderly persons.
Harmful effects of caffeinated coffee on your heart
On the other hand, consuming excessive amounts of caffeinated coffee is bad for your heart. Those who have high blood pressure and consume a lot of coffee run the risk of experiencing negative effects from caffeine, which can raise blood pressure and heart rate.
Because high blood pressure makes your arteries less elastic, it can harm them. As a result, your heart will receive less blood and oxygen, which can exacerbate chest discomfort, often known as angina, or worse, heart disease.
You may have any adverse effects on your heart due to reasons other than the caffeine in your coffee. Some of these elements, which might make your cup of joe less healthful, include the addition of sugar, cream, and chocolate.
By adding all these extra components to your coffee, you run the danger of gaining weight, becoming obese, developing diabetes, and having higher blood sugar levels, all of which are clearly linked to heart disease and other health issues.
An irregular pulse, heartburn, and palpitations are a few additional side effects of consuming more caffeinated coffee than is advised for your heart.
What quantity of caffeine might be harmful to your heart?
The majority of medical professionals advise that 300 mg of caffeine per day is a modest quantity to ingest and is both safe and beneficial for you. The equivalent of three 8-ounce cups of coffee, or 300 mg, depends on the kind of coffee you consume and how it is brewed.
400 mg of caffeine, or roughly four cups of coffee, is the daily limit for caffeine consumption. By going above this limit, you run the chance of developing heart disease by up to 22%, which is bad for your heart health.
When is it appropriate to quit drinking coffee?
Monitoring your consumption is the best course of action for getting the most out of your coffee-drinking habits and reaping the advantages of caffeine. But for the sake of their health, some people absolutely need to stop drinking coffee. If you fit any of the following criteria, you should quit drinking coffee:
- Having hypertension, often known as high blood pressure. Even when you have high blood pressure, continuing to consume coffee won’t help you go back to normal.
- If you have GERD or acid reflux, coffee may make your symptoms worse.
- If you have trouble falling or staying asleep, coffee might disturb your sleep and perhaps make you more alert.
- Having an anxiety condition, which can exacerbate symptoms of anxiety such as headaches, shaking, and heart palpitations.
- Weight gain: If you see that you are gaining weight, it is essential to temporarily cut down on coffee in order to get back in shape.
With proper and nutritious coffee blends, drinking coffee is healthier. If you want to concentrate on improving your health, health experts advise utilizing various alternatives to sugar and creamer. Cinnamon, cocoa powder, liquid stevia, maple syrup, nutmeg, oat milk, sea salt, and vanilla extract are some possible substitutes. You need moderation in everything, as in anything. The most important thing is to protect your heart and overall health.
