Amazing 'Morning Coffee' Effect... 31% Reduction in Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Risk

A study has found that people who drink 'morning coffee' have a 31% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Compared to those who drink coffee throughout the day or those who do not drink coffee at all, people who drink coffee in the morning showed a lower overall risk of death from all causes.

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Professor Lu Chi and his team at Tulane University in the United States announced on the 8th in the European Heart Journal, the official journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), the results of a follow-up study on the relationship between the timing and amount of coffee consumption and the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and all causes. Professor Chi stated that this study is "the first to investigate the impact of coffee drinking time on health," and found that the heart-protective effect of morning coffee is superior to coffee consumed throughout the day. He added, "These results suggest that when you drink coffee during the day may be more important than whether or how much coffee you drink."

The research team surveyed 40,725 adults who participated in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2018, investigating whether they drank coffee, and if so, when and how much. They then analyzed this data against death records and causes over an average follow-up period of 9.8 years. The team explained the research background by saying, "We wanted to understand how the timing of coffee consumption during the day affects heart health, considering the effects of caffeine on the body."

Among the participants, 36% belonged to the morning coffee group who drank coffee in the morning, 16% drank coffee throughout the day, and 48% did not drink coffee. During the follow-up period, there were 4,295 deaths, including 1,268 deaths from cardiovascular disease and 934 deaths from cancer.

Analysis showed that the morning coffee group had a 16% lower risk of death from all causes compared to the non-coffee group. Notably, the risk of death from cardiovascular disease was 31% lower. However, the group that drank coffee throughout the day did not show a reduction in mortality risk compared to the non-coffee group.

Professor Chi explained, "This study does not reveal why morning coffee lowers the risk of death from cardiovascular disease," but suggested, "One possible explanation is that coffee consumed in the afternoon or evening affects circadian rhythms and hormones such as melatonin, which may lead to changes in cardiovascular risk factors like inflammation and blood pressure."

He continued, "These results imply that morning coffee is more beneficial for cardiovascular health and reduces mortality risk compared to coffee consumed late in the day," adding, "However, to verify these findings, additional clinical trials are needed to examine the effects of changing coffee drinking times in other populations."

Previous studies have also shown that drinking an appropriate amount of coffee daily does not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and may reduce the risk of some chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes.