According to the findings of an Australian study, after six cups of coffee a day, the amount of lipids in the blood increases, which can be harmful to cardiovascular health.
While three billion cups of coffee are consumed every day in the world, many scientific studies have looked at the effects of this drink on health. If some recognize it benefits for concentration, hearing, or diabetes, others have revealed the harm.
This is the case with this global genetic study, conducted by researchers at the University of South Australia. The study used data from 362,571 participants from the UK Biobank bank, all aged 37 to 73.
“There is certainly a lot of scientific debate on the advantages and disadvantages of coffee, but (…) it is essential to fully understand how one of the most consumed drinks in the world can have an impact on our health”, explains Professor Elina Hyppönen, author of the study.
A significant increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease
Scientists found that six or more cups of coffee per day was associated with an increase in the amount of lipids in the blood, which is believed to promote the risk of cardiovascular disease. The researchers specify, however, that this association is established on an abundant consumption of coffee in the long term.
Besides the quantity, the choice of coffee is also important. This is because coffee beans contain cafestol, a compound that elevates cholesterol. However, it is mainly present in espressos, Greek and Turkish coffees and much less in filtered and instant coffees.
“In my opinion, it’s especially important for people with high cholesterol or who are worried about getting heart disease to choose carefully the type of coffee they drink. It is also important to note that the coffee-lipid combination depends on the dose – the more unfiltered coffee you drink, the more it increases your blood lipids, which puts you at an increased risk of heart disease ”, concludes Professor Hyppönen.
