Three cups of coffee a day may cut risk of developing heart condition by nearly 50%: Study

Researchers said that as populations age globally, there is an increase in number of people with at least two cardiometabolic diseases -- referred to as 'cardiometabolic multimorbidity' -- which is becoming a public health concern.

Using data from the UK Biobank, the researchers from Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, China, analysed information of over 1.72 lakh people taking caffeine with that of 1.88 lakh people consuming coffee and tea. The participants were free of cardiometabolic conditions at the study's start.

While coffee and tea are well-known to contain caffeine, the stimulant is also present in chocolates, aerated and energy drinks, and snack bars, all of which count as caffeine intake.

The authors found that people consuming moderate amounts -- three cups of coffee or 200-300 milligrams of caffeine a day -- had a 40-48 per cent lower risk of developing cardiometabolic comorbidity, compared to those not consuming or taking under 100 milligrams of caffeine a day. The results are published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

"Consuming three cups of coffee, or 200-300 mg caffeine, per day might help to reduce the risk of developing cardiometabolic multimorbidity in individuals without any cardiometabolic disease," lead author Chaofu Ke from the School of Public Health at Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University said.

While the protective effects of coffee and tea beverages in people having one cardiometabolic disease have been detailed in numerous studies, the researchers said the potential effects of these beverages in the onset of more than one such condition is largely unknown.

Even though all levels of coffee and caffeine intake were found to be conversely related with the risk of onset of more than one cardiometabolic disorder -- higher the intake, lower the risk -- those reporting moderate levels of coffee or caffeine intake were found to have the lowest risk.

"The findings highlight that promoting moderate amounts of coffee or caffeine intake as a dietary habit to healthy people might have far-reaching benefits for the prevention of cardiometabolic comorbidity," Ke said.