Derived from coffee beans, liquid coffee contains potassium, B vitamins, vitamin E and magnesium. The most notable compound found in coffee is caffeine, which is associated with increasing energy as well as alertness. Although coffee provides numerous health benefits, it may also increase the risk for cardiovascular disease. Still, the research on that point is contradictory, as more recent research has challenged some long-held beliefs.
Aortic Stiffness and Wave Reflections
Researchers at Athens University in Greece studied the impact of coffee consumption on aortic stiffness and wave reflections, both risk factors for heart disease. They discovered that coffee consuming subjects had higher aortic stiffness and wave reflections compared to non coffee drinkers. The results were blamed upon coffee's caffeine content.
Homocysteine
Coffee consumption has been associated with high homocysteine levels, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Scientists from Wageningen University in the Netherlands investigated whether caffeine was the compound responsible for the homocysteine raising effects of coffee. Subjects consumed six capsules providing 870 mg of caffeine, or six placebo capsules. Scientists reported in the December 2002 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" that the caffeine group experienced an increase in homocysteine levels compared to the placebo group.
Long-Term Effects
In research reported in the May 2006 issue of the journal "Circulation," researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health explored the effects of long-term coffee consumption and risk of heart disease. They assessed coffee consumption in 1986 for men and in 1980 for women. The follow-up continued until 2000. At the end of the study, scientists found no significant association between long-term coffee consumption and the risk of heart disease in either men or women.
Heart Disease Risk
Researchers from the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands examined the impact of tea and coffee consumption on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. They reported in the June 2010 issue of the journal "Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology" that drinking two to four cups of coffee lowered the risk for heart disease and the risk of heart disease death.
References
- Nutra Ingredients.com; New Study: Coffee, Risk Factor in Heart Disease; June 16, 2005
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Contribution of Caffeine to the Homocysteine-Raising Effect of Coffee: a Randomied Controlled Trial in Humans; P. Verhoef, et al.; December 2002
- "Circulation"; Coffee Consumption and Coronary Heart Disease in Men and Women. A Prospective Cohort Study; E.L. Garcia, et al.; February 2006
- "Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology"; Tea and Coffee Consumption and Cardiovascular Morbidity and Mortality; J. Gans, et al.; June 2010
