If you start your day with coffee, you’re in luck. Packed with antioxidants and hydrating fluids, coffee can be a good choice for heart health. (If you are a tea drinker, that’s a great choice too!)
The connection to heart health is positive news, especially since tea and coffee are the two most popular beverages in Canada and around the world. They are both widely enjoyed by people from many cultural backgrounds.
Rumors that coffee is bad for heart health are about to be put to rest. Here are some important truths to help you feel secure in sipping your beloved beverage.
Coffee and heart health
Studies have shown that drinking coffee may help decrease the risk of developing:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Heart failure
- Irregular heartbeat
- Metabolic syndrome (a group of conditions that occur together, increasing the risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke)
- Stroke
Coffee is high in antioxidants called polyphenols, which can protect heart health. Moderate coffee consumption may also decrease the risk of coronary heart disease. However, heavy coffee consumption may increase the risk. Which begs the question…
How much coffee is too much?
If you drink two or three cups (8 oz or 250 ml) of coffee a day, you’re in the right zone.
Coffee itself isn’t the problem – it’s the caffeine in coffee that requires an upper limit. And caffeine isn’t just in coffee, it’s also found in tea, energy drinks and soda.
As a stimulant, caffeine speeds up the central nervous system. That means it can increase your heart rate, which made some people believe it was bad for heart health. The truth? For most people, caffeine is well-tolerated, and even people with a history of heart disease can safely drink coffee. Of course, if your healthcare provider advises you to avoid caffeine, or you are sensitive to it, you can skip it and choose decaffeinated drinks instead.
Too much caffeine can cause irritability, headaches and nervousness. So, how much caffeine can you safely have in a day? Health Canada recommends these maximum daily intakes levels:
| Target group | Caffeine (mg) |
|---|---|
| Adults age 18+ | 400 mg |
| Planning to become pregnant, are pregnant, or breastfeeding | 300 mg |
| Children under 18 | 2.5 mg per kilogram of body weight |
Caffeine content of common drinks
A cup of brewed or percolated coffee has 118-135 mg caffeine, so you could have up to three cups a day if you have no other caffeine sources.
Here is the caffeine content in other beverages:
| Beverage | Quantity | Caffeine (mg) |
|---|---|---|
| Energy shot | 1 shot (60 mL) | 210 mg |
| Brewed or percolated coffee | 1 cup (250 mL) | 118-135 mg |
| Energy drink | 1 can (355 mL) | 112 mg |
| Instant coffee | 1 cup (250 mL) | 76-106 mg |
| Espresso | 1 shot (60 mL) | 65 mg |
| Cola | 1 can (355 mL) | 36-55 mg |
| Black tea | 1 cup (250 mL) | 50 mg |
| Green tea | 1 cup (250 mL) | 30 mg |
| Hot cocoa | 1 cup (250 mL) | 5 mg |
| Decaf coffee | 1 cup (250 mL) | 3 mg |
| Herbal or decaf tea | 1 cup (250 mL) | 0 mg |
What about tea and heart health?
Tea has less caffeine than coffee but is still filled with beneficial antioxidants that protect heart health. Studies show that both green and black tea may help regulate cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
Fun fact: Black and green tea come from the same plant! Leaves from the camellia sinensis shrub can be exposed to air (oxidized) to make black tea or they can be heated to halt oxidation and stay green to become green tea. Both are high in heart-healthy antioxidants.
3 big caffeine myths dispelled
Myth: I won’t sleep if I drink coffee
Truth: Coffee has the benefit of fighting fatigue but can also impact sleep quality and cause insomnia. The key is to drink coffee to help you wake up, but to stop drinking it about six to eight hours before bedtime. Different people have different sensitivities to caffeine and may need more or less time between caffeine consumption and sleep.
Myth: Coffee and tea are dehydrating.
Truth: Beverages like coffee and tea are hydrating since they are 99 percent water. You may have heard that caffeine is dehydrating because it is a mild diuretic, which means it increases urine output (makes you pee). Coffee and tea contain a lot of water, which helps balance things out. You will not lose more water than you consumed or become dehydrated if you drink two or three cups of coffee per day (400 mg caffeine). But note more than 400 mg caffeine is not recommended.
Myth: Adding sugar makes my coffee less healthy.
Truth: It’s all about moderation. A teaspoon of sugar is not a big deal. We recommend no more than 12 tsp of added sugar per day in all foods and drinks, so a bit in coffee or tea is fine. Studies show that adding sugar to coffee or tea does not contribute to heart disease. However, use caution with iced sweet coffee or options with flavoured syrups or caramel swirls. They may have upwards of 20 tsp of sugar. Count those as dessert.
The bottom line
If you love your morning coffee or tea, keep up this great habit, but in moderation. The antioxidants in these beverages can protect heart health. Just remember to make sure to keep your daily caffeine intake from your favourite beverages within a limit of 400 mg.
Learn more about:
