Is 1 to 3 cups of coffee daily heart healthy? New study suggests it may be

New study reveals surprising benefit of coffee

By Emily Caldwell Updated September 18, 2024 11:24AM

Coffee beans in white bowl — Mae Mu / Unsplash

The ongoing “is coffee healthy?” debate is nothing new — many argue that drinking too much coffee is a bad habit due to high levels of caffeine, while others argue that health has a variety of worthwhile health benefits. We all want to believe coffee is healthy simply because it tastes so good. But is it heart-healthy?

A recent research study published Tuesday continues the debate, providing more evidence that suggests caffeine consumption might be healthy for your heart. The study, which followed over 360,000 people, found that those who consumed a moderate amount of caffeine showed a reduced risk of new-onset cardiometabolic multimorbidity. Individuals who drank between one to three cups of coffee per day showed a reduced risk of 48.1%.

However, drinking more caffeine didn’t necessarily equate to better outcomes. Those who consumed about 200 to 300 mg of caffeine daily measured only a 40.7% reduced risk of new-onset cardiometabolic multimorbidity. This research suggests that one to three cups daily could be what is considered the “sweet spot” to benefit from coffee’s caffeine content without consuming too much. Consuming too much caffeine can lead to negative side effects that place too much stress on the heart.

Despite this promising research development, no conclusions can fully be made yet on the true health effects of caffeine consumption. This observational study only shows a correlation between heart health and caffeine. It does not suggest causation. Additionally, these findings apply to those who did not already have a pre-existing heart condition. Consuming one to three cups of coffee may be too much for those who already have heart conditions such as hypertension or those taking medications that affect heart rhythms.

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Coffee & Tea

Contributor

Emily is a freelance writer with a special focus on health, fitness, lifestyle, food, and nutrition topics. She holds a B.S…

Food & Drink

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Man pouring a cup of coffee

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Food & Drink

What is a cortado coffee? All about this smooth, velvety drink

Everything you ever wanted to know about cortado coffee

cortado

Said to have originated in the Basque region of Spain, the cortado is gaining popularity across coffee shops worldwide. This Spanish coffee beverage is a simple beverage made of warm espresso and steamed milk, creating a velvety, smooth espresso drink to sip on at any time of the day. But what exactly is a cortado, and how does it compare to other espresso beverages? We break it down below.
What is a cortado coffee?

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Understanding what's in a cortado
With many espresso beverages on the board, it's fairly easy to get your espresso drinks mixed up since they all have many similarities. Here's what you need to know about the cortado.
Is cortado the same as flat white?
A cortado and a flat white are not the same. The cortado is smaller in size than a flat white and also has a stronger taste. This is because a cortado has equal parts espresso to steamed milk, whereas a flat white has a ratio of 1 to 2-3 ratio of espresso to steamed milk. Additionally, the cortado has little to no milk foam, whereas the flat white has a larger amount of foam. This is why the flat white has a thicker, creamier consistency to it.
Is a cortado one or two shots?
A cortado is typically made with two shots of espresso (about two ounces), also known as a double-shot espresso. Considering the average espresso shot contains about 64 milligrams of caffeine, you can expect a cortado to contain about 128 milligrams of caffeine. However, this can vary depending on the type of espresso shots used in the cortado drink.
What is a cortado at Starbucks?
The cortado hasn't quite yet made it to Starbucks' menu in the U.S., but you can order this new coffee drink if you happen to find yourself at a Starbucks in the U.K. Starbucks makes their cortado with two shots of ristretto espresso, topped with warm, silky milk and served in a 6-ounce cup. We hope the cortado hits U.S. Starbucks soon.
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Food & Drink

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A cup of coffee from Big Island Coffee.

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