A number of cups per day is harmful to the heart.
Long or tight, black, sweet or cream, coffee is a divisive drink: some love it and can’t do without it, others hate it. At the “health” level, it also divides. Studies show benefits when consumed moderately, others point to harm in case of excess, particularly for the stomach or sleep. Recently, researchers from the University of Galway (Ireland) showed that frequent coffee consumption may also be associated with an increased risk of stroke.
A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted and damages brain cells. Caffeine tends to increase blood pressure in the arteries and impair their flexibility, promoting long-term the appearance of high blood pressure, the main risk factor for cardiovascular disease. To determine the amount of coffee harmful to the heart, researchers analyzed the cardiovascular health and consumption of hot drinks (notably coffee and tea) of a large cohort involving 27,000 people from 27 countries followed for 7 years. Among them, 13,500 people, or half, had already had a stroke.
Researchers showed that people who consumed more than 4 cups of coffee per day (espresso type, with 100 mg of caffeine per cup) had a 37% greater risk of having a stroke compared to people who consumed less. they report in the‘International Journal of Stroke. On the other hand, daily tea consumption showed a cardioprotective effect. People who consumed 3 to 4 cups of black tea per day – including Breakfast and Earl Gray teas – had a 29% lower risk of having a stroke. Those who consumed 3 to 4 cups of green tea per day had a 27% lower risk of having a stroke. The reduction in stroke risk was reversed in people who drank their tea with milk (as milk can reduce or block the antioxidant effects of tea).
“One of our main goals is to provide information on how to reduce the risk of stroke. Although hypertension is the most important risk factor, our risk of stroke can also be reduced by healthy lifestyle choices in diet, physical activity and healthy choices in daily consumption. drinks“, concludes Professor Martin O’Donnell, lead author of the study which is, to date, one of the largest international studies on stroke risk factors.