Morning coffee drinkers have a lower risk of heart disease and death

A study of more than 40,000 American adults has revealed that the timing of coffee consumption is likely just as important as how much coffee we consume when it comes to living a longer life.

The research builds on earlier work linking moderate coffee intake to various health benefits, including reduced chances of Type 2 diabetes, heart attacks, and strokes. 

While previous studies focused on how much coffee people consume, this one zoomed in on when they drink it – and the results could prompt some individuals to rethink their coffee routines.

Coffee timing and health outcomes

“Research so far suggests that drinking coffee doesn’t raise the risk of heart disease, and it seems to lower the risk of some chronic diseases,” explained Lu Qi, a professor at the Tulane University School of Public Health. 

“Given the effects that caffeine has on our bodies, we wanted to see if the time of day when you drink coffee has any impact on heart health.”

Together with collaborators from Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health and George Washington University, Qi analyzed coffee consumption patterns among tens of thousands of adults.

The experts classified coffee drinkers into two key groups: morning-type drinkers, who consume most of their coffee between 4 a.m. and noon (36% of the participants) and all-day-type drinkers, who spread their coffee intake from morning into the evening (14% of participants). The remaining 48% did not drink coffee at all.

Morning coffee has the most benefits

The experts found that those who get their caffeine fix in the early hours have the most benefits. The research followed participants for just under 10 years.

The analysis revealed that morning coffee drinkers showed a 16% lower risk of death from any cause and a 31% lower risk of death from heart disease, compared to individuals who consumed no coffee.

In contrast, people who drank coffee consistently throughout the day did not display significant mortality reductions.

The study, published in the European Heart Journal, also showed that these benefits were strongest at moderate intake levels. Among morning coffee drinkers, those who had two to three cups per day reduced their all-cause mortality risk by 29% relative to non-drinkers.

Even heavy coffee consumers (over three cups daily) showed a 21% lower mortality risk, while light drinkers (one cup or less) saw a 15% reduction. 

Powerful heart health benefits

The benefits were especially noticeable in heart health: moderate morning drinkers recorded a 48% decrease in heart-related deaths, with heavy drinkers at 39% and light drinkers at 35%.

These associations remained strong even after the scientists accounted for other factors such as  age, sex, race, income, education, smoking status, and pre-existing health conditions.

“This is the first study testing coffee drinking timing patterns and health outcomes,” Qi said.

“Our findings indicate that it’s not just whether you drink coffee or how much you drink, but the time of day when you drink coffee that’s important. We don’t typically give advice about timing in our dietary guidance, but perhaps we should be thinking about this in the future.”

Why morning coffee may be best

Researchers propose two main mechanisms to explain why morning coffee could offer more pronounced benefits. 

First, late-day coffee drinking may disturb the body’s circadian rhythms by inhibiting the production of melatonin, a hormone key to regulating sleep-wake cycles and tied to cardiovascular health. 

Previous trials showed heavy coffee consumption in the afternoon or evening can slash nighttime melatonin by 30%.

Second, coffee’s anti-inflammatory effects may prove more beneficial in the morning, when the body’s inflammatory markers tend to peak. Drinking coffee at that time may deliver its anti-inflammatory compounds precisely when the body can most effectively use them.

A deeper look at coffee’s benefits

The study produced a variety of figures showing mortality risk reductions for different consumption levels among morning coffee drinkers.

Some wonder why the overall advantage for morning drinkers (16% lower mortality risk) appears smaller than the benefits for subgroups (15%, 29%, or 21% lower risk). 

This discrepancy stems from contrasting analytical methods. When the researchers separated morning coffee drinkers by how many cups they drank, they captured nuances that a single overall comparison could not. 

Both analyses confirm that morning coffee helps lower mortality risk, but the subgroup breakdown reveals a more detailed picture.

Implications for public health

With coffee ranking among the globe’s most popular beverages, these findings may encourage coffee enthusiasts to reconsider not just how much they drink, but also when they drink it. 

The 2015-2020 U.S. Dietary Guidelines already recognize moderate coffee consumption as compatible with a healthy lifestyle. This fresh perspective on timing suggests further ways to optimize coffee’s health advantages.

The study cannot prove a definitive cause-and-effect relationship, and scientists caution that more research is needed. Nonetheless, for those looking to maximize coffee’s potential health benefits – especially in relation to longevity and heart health – morning consumption might be the ideal choice.

By highlighting how timing may affect coffee’s beneficial effects, the study opens new questions for further exploration. Could an extra afternoon cup undo some of the benefits gained from morning coffee? Should future dietary guidelines address timing as part of their recommendations? 

As coffee lovers explore these possibilities, one thing is clear: morning might just be the perfect time to savor that first cup.

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