Morning coffee may lower risk of heart disease-related death, research suggests

Recent research indicates that the timing of coffee consumption may play a significant role in reducing the risk of heart disease and early death. The study, led by Dr. Lu Qi at Tulane University, found that individuals who drank coffee in the morning had a notably lower risk of dying from cardiovascular diseases compared to those who consumed coffee throughout the day. However, it is important to note that the study does not definitively prove that coffee is the sole factor contributing to this reduced risk. Dr. Qi explained that while the study does not clarify the exact reasons behind the benefits of morning coffee, one possible explanation is that drinking coffee later in the day could disrupt a person's internal body clock. The findings were published on a Wednesday, and Dr. Qi emphasized the need for further research to determine if these results are applicable to other populations. He stated, 'We need clinical trials to test the potential impact of changing the time of day when people drink coffee. ' This suggests that more studies are necessary to explore how the timing of coffee consumption affects health outcomes. The research team examined data from 40,725 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the United States between 1999 and 2018. Participants were asked about their daily food and drink habits, including their coffee consumption patterns. Dr. Qi noted, 'Given the effects that caffeine has on our bodies, we wanted to see if the time of day when you drink coffee has any impact on heart health. ' While previous studies have indicated that moderate coffee consumption can have health benefits, this study is the first to investigate the relationship between the timing of coffee consumption and health outcomes. According to the research findings, 36% of participants identified as morning coffee drinkers, while 14% reported drinking coffee throughout the day. The researchers tracked these individuals for nearly a decade, analyzing their health records and causes of death during that period. After almost ten years, 4,295 participants had died, including 1,268 deaths attributed to cardiovascular diseases. The results revealed that morning coffee drinkers were 16% less likely to die compared to non-coffee drinkers and 31% less likely to die from heart disease. In contrast, all-day coffee drinkers did not show a reduced risk of death compared to those who did not consume coffee. The researchers concluded, 'Drinking coffee in the morning may be more strongly associated with a lower risk of mortality than drinking coffee later in the day. ' They also found that higher coffee intake was significantly linked to a lower risk of death, but this association was only observed among those who consumed coffee in the morning. In an accompanying editorial, Professor Thomas F Luscher from Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals in London raised an intriguing question: 'Why would time of the day matter? ' He explained that during the morning hours, there is typically a marked increase in sympathetic activity, which prepares the body for the day ahead. This heightened activity tends to diminish as the day progresses, reaching its lowest point during sleep. Professor Luscher suggested that, as the researchers indicated, drinking coffee later in the day could potentially disrupt our internal clock at a time when our bodies should be resting. He noted that many individuals who consume coffee throughout the day often experience sleep disturbances. Additionally, he pointed out that coffee appears to suppress melatonin, a hormone that plays a crucial role in regulating sleep. The study also indicated that among coffee drinkers, those who consumed coffee in the morning were more likely to also drink tea and caffeinated soda, while consuming less coffee overall compared to those who drank coffee all day. This suggests that morning coffee drinkers may have different consumption patterns than those who prefer coffee throughout the day.