Morning coffee does your heart good, study shows

Morning coffee drinkers have a lower risk of dying from heart disease and a reduced overall mortality risk compared to all-day coffee drinkers, according to a study published Wednesday in the European Heart Journal.

Those who drink coffee in the morning had a 31% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and were 16% less likely to die early compared to others.

"This is the first study testing coffee drinking timing patterns and health outcomes," professor Lu Qi from Tulane University in the US, the lead researcher, said in a statement.

Those who drank coffee throughout the day had the same disease risk as non-coffee drinkers.

The authors analyzed dietary and health data from 40,725 adults aged 18 and older, collected between 1999 and 2018.

The study included a subgroup of 1,463 adults to validate and cross-reference dietary data and enhance the accuracy and reliability of the overall findings.

Researchers connected the data to death records and their causes for a follow-up period of nine to 10 years.

Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption was examined, categorizing intake times into morning, afternoon and evening.

For morning drinkers, the amount of caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee consumed -- whether less than one cup or more than three cups daily -- did not significantly alter the observed benefits. Consuming coffee in the morning was associated with a reduced mortality risk regardless of quantity.

"In the morning hours there is commonly a marked increase in sympathetic activity as we wake up and get out of bed, an effect that fades away during the day and reaches its lowest level during sleep." said Lu.

"Thus, it is possible, as the authors point out, that coffee drinking in the afternoon or evening disrupts the circadian rhythm of sympathetic activity. Indeed, many all-day drinkers suffer from sleep disturbances," he added.

The research identified two main consumption patterns: morning-only and all-day. After nearly 10 years of follow-up, there were 4,295 deaths from all causes, including 1,268 from cardiovascular disease and 934 from cancer.

Lu stressed the findings remained consistent even after accounting for confounding factors and physical activity levels, dietary habits and health conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol.

"Overall, we must accept the now substantial evidence that coffee drinking, particularly in the morning hours, is likely to be healthy," said Lu. "Thus, drink your coffee, but do so in the morning!"