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Ask Dr. Nandi: Drinking this much coffee per day is good for your heart

Posted at 5:54 PM, Jun 22, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-22 17:54:27-04

Americans love coffee. In fact, when asked in a recent survey, sixty-four percent of us claimed we drank coffee the previous day.

So the results of a brand new study by German researchers should bring smiles to many faces.

The study shows that a few cups of Morning Joe might be just what your heart needs to function at a higher level. 

I posted the following question today on Facebook: How many cups of coffee is ideal?

Here were some of your answers. 

Tamera Dawn said, “A pot in the morning and a pot at night. So at least 8 cups a day. Unless it’s extremely hot out and then it’s less. I also use cream and sugar can’t drink it black.”

Researchers found that the magic number of cups of coffee per day seems to hover around 4 or 5. This amount of caffeine seems to help blood vessels grow and makes cells work more efficiently.

The American Association of Cardiology says it’s safe for most people to consume up to 6 cups of coffee a day. But if you go above that amount, you run the risk of a rapid heartbeat and other health problems.

So try to keep it below 6 cups a day, and go light on the sugar and cream. 

Frances Wilcox writes, “No coffee, big tea drinker, is that ok [for] heart health?”

The short answer is yes, tea is good for heart health.

The researchers in the study were looking at the effects of the caffeine in coffee. They note that other drinks containing similar amounts of caffeine, like green tea, for instance, will have similar benefits for your heart. So by all means, keep drinking that tea!

Thank you to everyone who submitted questions today on Facebook.