American Heart Association says 5 cups of coffee a day is safe
If your morning does not officially begin until you've had coffee, science has some reassuring news. According to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA), drinking up to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day—roughly five eight-ounce cups of black coffee—is generally considered safe for most healthy adults.
Even better, moderate coffee consumption may actually be linked to a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and Type 2 diabetes, according to the review, which was published in the journal Circulation. But there is a plot twist.
It's the coffee extras that can get you
Before you celebrate by ordering the largest caramel-cookie-cinnamon-whipped-cream masterpiece your local café can make, there's a catch. The research found that the health benefits show up most consistently with plain black coffee.
In other words, coffee gets the credit, not the half cup of vanilla syrup, three pumps of caramel, whipped cream, and chocolate drizzle you turned it into. Registered dietitian Lauren Manaker, who wasn't involved in the research, says those sugary add-ins may undo some of the benefits people hope to get from drinking coffee in the first place. So, while drinking 5 cups of black coffee daily is safe, your coffee milkshake disguised as a latte is a different conversation.
Coffee is not the same as energy drinks
The AHA also wants people to stop lumping coffee and energy drinks into the same category. They both contain caffeine, but that is where the similarities end.
Many energy drinks and energy shots pack three to four times more caffeine than a regular cup of coffee, often mixed with additional stimulants. Higher doses have been linked to issues like irregular heart rhythms, elevated blood pressure, and greater cardiovascular risks in some people.
Your caffeine settings are unique to you
Of course, there is no universal caffeine setting that works for everyone. According to the researchers, factors like your age, medications, genetics, and how quickly your body processes caffeine can all affect how coffee hits you.
That's why one person can knock back four cups before lunch and immediately take a nap, while someone else drinks half a latte at 4 p.m. and spends the night staring at the ceiling replaying every awkward conversation they've ever had.
The health hero or the villain
This latest review adds to the belief that in moderation, coffee may actually be one of the healthier daily habits for many people, provided you're not loading it with sugar and high-calorie extras. The researchers also note that more studies are needed, since much of the existing evidence comes from observational research rather than experiments that directly prove cause and effect.
Still, if you're sipping a few cups of black coffee each day, you probably don't need to feel guilty about it. Your sleep schedule, however, might have a different opinion if cup number five happens at 9 p.m.
Source: Fox News
