A recent study from several top U.S. universities shows that drinking coffee in the morning might be good for your heart. Researchers analyzed data from more than 40,000 adults in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and found that early coffee drinkers had lower risks of death, especially from heart disease. This is significant news considering heart disease is the leading cause of death in the country.
The study, published in the European Heart Journal, compared different coffee habits. It found that those who drank coffee in the morning were less likely to die from heart disease compared to those who didn’t drink coffee at all. On the flip side, those who enjoyed coffee later in the day didn’t see these benefits. Let’s take a deeper view of the results.
Morning coffee: A heart-healthy habit
Experts believe that the time of day you drink your coffee could affect your body’s natural rhythms. Professor Lu Qi from Tulane University in New Orleans, who led the study, explained that coffee in the morning might work with your body’s cycle rather than against it.
In the early hours, your hormone melatonin is low and naturally rises later in the day to help you sleep. Drinking coffee in the afternoon or evening could disrupt this rhythm, which may affect sleep quality and, over time, contribute to heart problems. That’s why the natural ups and downs of your hormones might be better supported by having your coffee in the morning.
Here are some simple takeaways from the study:
- Morning coffee drinkers had a 16% lower chance of dying from any cause compared to those who didn’t drink coffee.
- The risk of dying from heart disease dropped by 31% among morning coffee drinkers.
- Drinking two or more cups in the morning was linked with lower risks compared to just one cup.
- Coffee consumed later in the day did not show the same benefits.
- Drinking coffee later might mess with your melatonin levels, which could affect your sleep and heart health.
What this means for your daily coffee
This study opens up an exciting conversation about not just what we eat and drink, but when we do it. For those living in busy U.S. cities from New York to Los Angeles, switching your coffee routine might be an easy change with big benefits.
However, keep in mind that this study was observational. It doesn’t prove that morning coffee directly prevents heart disease, but it does give us a strong hint. More research is needed to see if changing your drinking time can lower your risk of heart problems.
For now, if you love your coffee, try to savor it in the morning. It’s a simple tweak to your routine that might make a big difference in your health. And who wouldn’t want to start the day with a little boost, knowing that it could help keep their heart in check?