A population survey by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), concluded that 154 million Americans, or 75% of the U.S. population, drink coffee. Out of the 75%, 49% said that they drink coffee on a daily basis. Even though coffee is enjoyed by many, whether it is your daily cup in the morning or afternoon pick-up, is there a specific time we should consume caffeine?
Tulane University highlights a study conducted by the European Heart Journal. The study included 40,725 adults. Consumption of both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee was observed, during intervals of the morning (4 am to 11:59 am), afternoon (12 pm to 4:59 pm), and evening (5 pm to 3:59 am). Two patterns of consumption were identified – drinking coffee in the morning and all day. Around 36% of the participants were morning coffee drinkers while 16% drank coffee throughout the morning, afternoon, and evening. Additionally, 48% were not coffee drinkers. Researchers found that “morning coffee drinkers were 16% less likely to die of any cause and 31% less likely to die of cardiovascular disease.” But why do people who drink coffee in the morning have less health risks?
Well, the study’s lead author, Dr. Lu Qi, completed further research and found that consuming coffee in the afternoon or evening was more likely to disrupt circadian rhythms and levels of hormones. As a result, there are changes in cardiovascular risk factors.
On another note, consuming decaffeinated coffee did not affect the results of the study. According to CNN News, drinking coffee in the morning was by far better in regards to mortality risk than other consumption patterns. Furthermore, the authors of the study also took into consideration factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, health conditions (ex. diabetes), physical activity levels, etc. The study’s findings still remained the same.
In retrospect, coffee can still be enjoyed, but professionals advise individuals to limit their consumption to the morning. With these findings, you may be inclined to think twice about going on that mid-afternoon coffee run!