4+ cups a day were suggested to be beneficial in a 2017 study, however this study determined 6+ cups of coffee a day increases risk of developing heart disease by up to 22% because too much caffeine can cause high blood pressure which is a precursor to heart disease.
“Coffee is the most commonly consumed stimulant in the world – it wakes us up, boosts our energy and helps us focus – but people are always asking ‘How much caffeine is too much?’ Most people would agree that if you drink a lot of coffee, you might feel jittery, irritable or perhaps even nauseous – that’s because caffeine helps your body work faster and harder, but it is also likely to suggest that you may have reached your limit for the time being.” says Elina Hypponen.
Data was analyzed for coffee habits from 347,077 adults between the ages of 37-73 to diagnoses of heart disease to investigate whether carriers of a gene that metabolizes caffeine faster could ingest caffeine more frequently without negative effects; findings revealed even those with this gene were not to at any less risk.
“In order to maintain a healthy heart and a healthy blood pressure, people must limit their coffees to fewer than six cups a day – based on our data six was the tipping point where caffeine started to negatively affect cardiovascular risk.”
It appears as with most things too much of a good thing can be bad, moderation still appears to be key. Knowing limits of what is good and what is not is important to health, overindulging in just about anything could have negative effects that your health will pay for.
