How Many Cups of Coffee a Day Benefit Your Health, According to Science

During the 17th century, drinking coffee was punishable by death. Back then, it was believed that it had mind-altering effects. Luckily, now we can drink as much coffee as we want, and the variety of compounds it contains has been proven to benefit our health. But there have still been many discussions about how much coffee is safe to drink over the course of a day.

We at Bright Side decided to find out how many cups of our beloved beverage are good for our body and how much is too much. And we have prepared a bonus at the end of the article for you to check out.

The right amount of coffee benefits your heart.

A group of scientists from Germany have found out that caffeine makes the cells in our blood vessels react in a certain way. It improves the way these cells work and makes them perform like younger ones. Researchers believe that the optimal amount of coffee we need to keep the heart younger for longer is 4 cups a day.

Coffee drinkers live longer.

Over the years, researchers have noticed that regular coffee drinkers are less likely to be affected by various health conditions. The list includes heart diseases, strokes, injuries, respiratory diseases, infections, and diabetes. A massive study of 400,000 people in the US found that people who drink coffee on a daily basis were less likely to die from any cause than people who cut back on caffeine.

But don’t overdo it.

However, if you frequently have half a dozen cups or more, the scale starts to move toward risk. People who regularly drink too much coffee might be setting themselves up for some health complications. Drinking more than 6 shots of espresso every day may increase your risk of heart disease by up to 22%, according to a study.

What makes your coffee unhealthy

If you’re drinking more than 6 cups of coffee a day, it’s not the caffeine alone that may be harmful to your health. Many coffee lovers load their beverages up with sugar and cream that add calories and fat, which in turn may lead to potential health issues. While it is true that the right amount of black coffee reduces the risk of diabetes, adding sweeteners, cream, and flavoring can increase blood sugar levels.

Bonus: How to measure your caffeine intake

Coffee isn’t the only source of caffeine. It can also be found in tea and some other foods. You can use online caffeine calculators to understand how much of this stimulant you consume daily.

How many cups of coffee do you drink in a day? Have you ever tried to quit?