It is estimated that more than 85% of Americans drink at least one caffeinated beverage per day.
There’s nothing like a cup of coffee to wake you up, give you energy, and get you ready to take on the day. While for some people caffeine is their go-to morning beverage, others drink endless amounts out of addiction or an excessive love for the beverage. However, according to a new study, too much caffeine is bad for your heart.
It’s estimated that more than 85 percent of Americans consume at least one caffeinated beverage a day. That’s why, whether it’s coffee, tea or even energy drinks, health experts recommend not exceeding 400 milligrams a day, equivalent to four cups. But if you consistently exceed this threshold, it could directly increase your risk of heart problems.
A study presented at the American College of Cardiology Conference in New Delhi found that despite being healthy, those who drank more coffee than their prescribed amount were prone to deadly heart diseases, including heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. “Overall, chronic elevations in blood pressure are a risk factor for future cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks, heart failure or strokes,” Dr. Jason Hopper, a cardiologist at the Norton Heart & Vascular Institute, who conducted the research, told Health.com.
How does caffeine affect the heart??
The study looked at around 100 people aged between 18 and 45, all with normal blood pressure. After their blood pressure and pulse were measured, they were asked to take a three-minute step test that can assess cardiovascular fitness based on how their heart rate slows during a recovery period.
In addition to that, they also recorded their caffeine levels, mainly coffee and tea, along with carbonated drinks like Coca-Cola, Red Bull, and Monster, which they consumed every day. According to the results of the study, around 20 percent of the participants consumed at least 400 mg of caffeine. Consuming this amount of caffeine was shown to significantly affect their autonomic nervous system, significantly increasing their heart rate and blood pressure levels. However, for those who drank more, the results were even more severe.
“Because of its effect on the autonomic nervous system, regular caffeine consumption may put otherwise healthy individuals at risk for hypertension and other cardiovascular events,” said Dr. Nency Kagathara, senior author of the study and a researcher at Zydus Medical College and Hospital in India, in a news release.
Dr Kagathara called for greater awareness. “Raising awareness of these risks is essential to improving everyone’s heart health,” she added.
Why drinking too much caffeine is not good for your heart?
According to experts, caffeine is a vasoconstrictor (capable of narrowing blood vessels and increasing blood pressure), so it can be harmful to heart health. Hypertension increases the workload of the heart, which can sometimes lead to heart failure or abnormal heart rhythms in the long term.
Being a stimulant, it also alerts the brain, triggering the body’s fight-or-flight response in the autonomic nervous system, responsible for regulating heart rate and blood pressure.
However, experts say that these increases in blood pressure and heart rate are not seen with less than four cups a day. In addition to the increased heart rate, you may also experience a rapid heartbeat, nervousness, tremors, and palpitations, along with insomnia and anxiety issues.
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