Who would have thought that the coffee break could become beneficial to health? And we are not talking about the possibility of disconnecting from the stress of everyday life, which is still useful for physical and mental well-being. No, the benefits all come from a cup of coffee! In fact, drinking up to three cups of this fragrant drink has been shown to protect the heart and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attack. This is what emerges from a very recent scientific research presented at this year's congress of the European Society of Cardiology by a team from Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary (ESC Congress 2021).
Coffee and the benefits on the heart, research
Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world. However, little is known about the heart benefits of long-term coffee intake. To fill this gap, the researchers performed a study in which they analyzed the health and lifestyle data of 468.629 persons, all participants in the large study started in 2006 called UK Biobank. Well, according to data collected over an 11-year period, those who have the habit of drinking up to 3 cups of coffee a day have, compared to those who do not drink coffee, a 17% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease with bad outcome. Not only that, these same people also have a 21% lower risk of heart attack.
Coffee acts on the structure of the heart
To better understand the observed data, the researchers studied nuclear magnetic resonance images and observed that the heart of those who drink coffee has an optimal size and a better functionality than those who do not drink coffee. Therefore, the hypothesis is that coffee, if consumed regularly, acts on the structure of the heart, also benefiting its function. Other studies will follow to verify this hypothesis, for the moment we know that coffee is definitely a healthy drink to include in a healthy diet. However, it is important not to lose the benefits of coffee by adding sugar and sweeteners to this drink that cause the dangerous blood sugar spikes.
