Is coffee good or bad for your heart?
For most healthy adults, three to four filtered cups per day is associated with a beneficial effect on the heart and blood vessels. Pregnant women are an important exception: for them, the maximum is around two cups per day.
Three to four cups a day is associated with around 15% lower odds of cardiovascular disease and roughly 19% lower odds of dying from it. Overall, the chance of dying from any cause is approximately 17% lower in moderate coffee drinkers. This applies to both regular and decaffeinated coffee. That said, these are associations from large population studies, not proven cause and effect. People who drink moderate amounts of coffee may also lead healthier lives in other ways.
What you choose makes a concrete difference. Go for filter coffee, instant coffee or espresso, not coffee from a cafetière or Turkish coffee. Unfiltered coffee raises LDL cholesterol, the 'bad' cholesterol, because the substances responsible are trapped by a filter. Whether the coffee is decaffeinated or not makes little difference for most heart and blood vessel outcomes: the protective associations appear to be independent of caffeine.
One cup can briefly and mildly raise blood pressure, but drinking coffee regularly does not lead to chronically high blood pressure, even at up to 600 mg of caffeine per day. The risk of most heart rhythm problems does not appear to be increased. Coffee can trigger extra harmless heartbeats. The evidence on atrial fibrillation remains unclear.
Too much coffee can cause anxiety and sleep problems. At extremely high doses there is a risk of poisoning, and women who consume large amounts also face a higher risk of bone fractures. The most favourable association for overall health is seen with one to five cups per day, not with large quantities or unfiltered coffee.
Pregnant women are a separate group at risk. High consumption is associated with a 31% greater chance of low birth weight, up to 22% greater chance of preterm birth, and a 46% greater chance of pregnancy loss. The advice is to limit caffeine during pregnancy to a maximum of 200 mg per day, roughly two cups; discuss this with your doctor.
The claims are based on multiple large population studies and many studies combined. Studies in people that directly test hard heart and blood vessel outcomes are largely lacking, which limits the ability to establish cause and effect.
Are calcium supplements bad for your heart?
Calcium supplements may be associated with an increased heart risk, but not all studies confirm this. It is best to get calcium from your diet, and discuss with your doctor whether a supplement is truly necessary for you.
Does coffee lower the risk of premature death?
Coffee (3 to 4 cups per day, preferably in the morning and without much sugar) is associated with less early death in large population studies, but this is an association, not a proven cause. Pregnant women are a clear exception.
Is high homocysteine bad for my heart?
High homocysteine is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, but whether it is the cause is not certain. Have your levels checked by your doctor and discuss whether dietary changes or supplementation make sense for you.
Is the Mediterranean diet really good for your heart, and why?
For people at increased heart risk, the Mediterranean diet is the best-supported dietary choice currently available. Both large studies in people and dozens of population studies confirm a lower risk of heart attack and stroke.
Does unhealthy gums affect my heart?
People with serious gum disease show clearly higher risks of heart attack, stroke and premature death in large-scale research. Whether that association is causal is not yet certain, but keeping your gums healthy is worthwhile regardless.
Does dark chocolate or cocoa benefit your heart?
Dark chocolate with a high cocoa content appears to be good for your heart, but the evidence is still based on studies that track people over time rather than test a treatment directly. A small daily portion of dark chocolate is worthwhile, but large amounts are not, because of the calories.