If you’re like me, coffee is one of life’s few constant pleasures. A new report released today should reassure you if you’ve ever been worried about the effects of your habit on your heart—as long as you’re drinking in moderation, of course.
Experts at the American Heart Association have issued a new scientific statement on the link between coffee and caffeine consumption and cardiovascular disease. Consuming up to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, or about 5 eight-ounce cups of caffeinated coffee, is safe for the heart, they concluded, and may even reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in some people. On the other hand, consuming high levels of caffeine from sources such as energy drinks could be dangerous.
“For the vast majority of people who currently enjoy consuming caffeinated coffee or tea, they should be reassured that these substances almost certainly do not increase their cardiovascular risks and may instead have health benefits,” Gregory Marcus, head of the volunteer writing group behind the statement and a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, told Gizmodo in an email.
How much coffee a day is safe?
Caffeine is one of the most consumed drugs on Earth, with coffee being its primary method of administration for many people. Although there has been some concern about the adverse health effects of regular coffee and caffeine consumption, most research these days is optimistic. A study conducted last February, for example, found that caffeinated coffee and tea may be associated with a lower risk of dementia later in life.
However, according to the AHA, the relationship between caffeine and cardiovascular health can be complex, so researchers wanted to review the most up-to-date evidence on the topic. They looked at studies on how caffeine consumption can affect the risk of stroke, coronary artery disease, and arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), among others. Overall, the researchers saw a consistent pattern: Below 400 milligrams, caffeine is fairly safe for the average person’s heart.
“Regular moderate coffee consumption can be part of a healthy lifestyle,” the authors wrote in their paper, published Monday in Circulation magazine.
There are some nuances in the data that might merit further investigation, they say. Drinking between one and three cups of coffee a day could increase blood pressure in people with healthy levels, for example, while drinking more than that could actually lower it. Some research has also suggested that a particular ingredient in unfiltered coffee (both caffeinated and decaffeinated) called cafestol might be associated with higher levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, also known as the bad kind. And some of the positive associations seen between coffee and conditions such as type 2 diabetes could be due to compounds other than caffeine.
“While the studies certainly have limitations and may still be confounded by other factors despite the best attempts to properly adjust statistically, the evidence of benefit is greatest for the risks of type 2 diabetes, atrial fibrillation (the most common heart rhythm disturbance), heart attack and stroke,” Marcus said. “On the other hand, caffeine products may increase the frequency of the first heartbeats that arise from the lower chamber of the heart, called premature ventricular contractions (or PVCs), which may ultimately increase the risk of heart failure.”
The real dangers of caffeine
All that said, the biggest dangers of caffeine likely come from exceeding that 400 milligram threshold. Higher levels of caffeine consumption are associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure and irregular heart rhythm, the authors note.
Although it may be difficult to consume that much caffeine with a typical cup of coffee, it is much easier to do so with other products such as energy drinks or shots. And too much caffeine from these products can be life-threatening. Between 2022 and 2023, for example, at least two related to the heart deceased in the US were related to Panera Bread’s “Charged Lemonade” high-caffeine energy drinks, which were eventually discontinued. And even incredibly fit people who consume energy drinks may be susceptible to complications such as stroke.
“Energy drinks have not been studied as thoroughly as the caffeine found in natural substances (such as coffee or tea), but the available evidence suggests that these drinks are more likely to be harmful than not,” Marcus said.
So, yes, you should be mindful of how much caffeine you consume daily, especially if you regularly drink energy shots. And if you’re worried about caffeine effect in your sleep or other aspects of your health, it’s not a bad idea to cut back. Since most Americans probably consume However, with less than 200 milligrams of caffeine a day, the average person reading this should be fine where they are.
