New study reveals the best time of day to drink coffee

If you haven't had coffee today and don't have a habit of drinking it in the morning, you should pay attention to these science-based arguments.

According to a recent study published in the European Journal of Cardiology, people who drank coffee only in the morning were less likely to die of heart problems compared to those who did not drink coffee at all. However, no such health effects were observed among people who drank coffee throughout the day.

The researchers analyzed data from more than 40,000 American adults who reported whether, how often, and when they drank coffee. The team found two main groups among coffee drinkers: the larger group consisted of those who drank coffee before noon, and the smaller group drank coffee throughout the day.

Comparing this data with 10 years of public death records, the researchers found that those who drank coffee in the morning had a 16% lower risk of dying from any cause and a 31% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular problems than those who did not drink coffee. However, there was no difference in the risk of death between those who drink coffee throughout the day and those who do not drink coffee.

This is the first study to examine these coffee consumption patterns and their impact on important health indicators. The results show that it is not only whether a person drinks coffee or how much they consume, but also what time of day they do so.

According to the researchers, the study does not explain why drinking coffee in the morning reduces the risk of death from cardiovascular disease. It is likely that drinking coffee in the afternoon or evening can disrupt circadian rhythms and hormone levels, particularly melatonin. This, in turn, negatively affects cardiovascular risk factors such as inflammation and blood pressure.

The benefits of morning coffee were observed among people who reported drinking any amount of coffee before noon, but the greatest positive effect was experienced by those who drank at least two cups.

This may be due to the way coffee affects the sympathetic nervous system, which prepares the body for action, experts suggest. In the morning, when a person wakes up and gets out of bed, there is usually a noticeable increase in sympathetic activity. This effect decreases during the day and reaches its lowest level during sleep.

Thus, it is possible, as the authors note, that drinking coffee in the afternoon or evening disrupts the circadian rhythm of sympathetic activity. Indeed, many people who drink coffee throughout the day suffer from sleep disorders. In this context, it is interesting to note that coffee seems to suppress melatonin, which induces sleep.

Another possible positive effect of coffee on health may be that it can reduce the effects of psycho-emotional stress and likely inflammation.

So, coffee lovers can continue to enjoy their morning coffee as there is already strong evidence that it is good for health.