Research has shown that coffee lovers who enjoy their brew in the morning are less likely to face premature death. However, this benefit fades for those who drink the aromatic beverage later in the day.
A team from Tulane University in New Orleans conducted the first major study examining how the health benefits of coffee depend on the time of consumption. They found that individuals who drink coffee in the morning experience advantages that are not observed in those who consume it at other times of the day.
What Else Did the Researchers Discover?
The scientists analyzed the dietary habits of 40,725 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the U.S. from 1999 to 2018. About 36 percent of them drank coffee in the morning, while 16 percent consumed it in the afternoon.
A decade-long observation of the participants revealed that those who drank coffee in the morning had a 16 percent lower risk of dying from any cause, and a 31 percent lower risk of dying from cardiovascular diseases compared to those who did not consume coffee at all.
However, the researchers found that the heart health benefits disappeared for volunteers who drank coffee later in the day. Moreover, medical records did not show a significant reduction in mortality among these individuals.
Interestingly, morning coffee drinkers had a lower risk of death regardless of whether they consumed it in moderate amounts or more than three cups a day. However, the health benefits were less pronounced for those who only had one cup in the morning.
“It’s not just about whether you drink coffee and how much you drink, but also the time of day when you do it,” said Professor Lu Qi, a nutrition and epidemiology expert at the university.
The study’s findings were published in the European Heart Journal. Later, the team validated their results with a smaller group of 1,463 individuals who kept detailed weekly food and drink diaries.
Why Is Morning Coffee More Important?
One possible explanation is that consuming coffee later in the day may disrupt circadian rhythms and hormone levels, such as melatonin. This, in turn, affects sleep, inflammation levels, and blood pressure. All these factors are interconnected with heart health.
In a related editorial, Professor Thomas Lüscher, a consultant cardiologist at the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals in London, noted that many people who drink coffee throughout the day experience poor sleep. Coffee can suppress the production of melatonin, a hormone crucial for initiating sleep in the brain.
In addition to caffeine, coffee contains hundreds of other bioactive compounds that influence our physiology. Researchers say that certain inflammatory substances in the blood are often activated in the morning. These can be neutralized by the anti-inflammatory compounds found in morning coffee, as reported by The Guardian.
It’s worth mentioning that another recent study based on data from the UK Biobank showed that individuals who consumed up to three cups of coffee a day had healthier hearts than those who did not.
The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK recommends not drinking more than four cups of coffee a day, as high doses can increase blood pressure. Meanwhile, pregnant women are advised to limit their caffeine intake to 200 mg per day.
“Overall, we should acknowledge the substantial evidence that consuming coffee, especially in the morning, is likely beneficial for health. So, enjoy your coffee, but make sure to have it in the morning!” advised Professor Lüscher.