Coffee: Enjoy heartily in moderation

By 4. März 2015Blog

Yes, it’s another good day to be a coffee drinker, Korean scientists have published a paper in the journal Heart that claims people who drink 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day have less build up of coronary artery calcium (CAC), an early sign of coronary heart disease than those that drink less or more.

As health screenings are mandatory for all workers in South Korea, the researchers were able to analyse data from nearly 30,500 people checked between 2011-13. After exclusions due to existing cardiovascular disease and incomplete or implausible collected data (smoking status and reported food intake) they were left with a sample size of over 25,000 people.

They found that coffee consumption and the incidence of CAC followed a U shape. Basically, those that consumed 3-5 cups a day had the least incidence of CAC.

There are some things I would like to know though: How do the Korean’s enjoy their coffee? They mention in the paper they don’t tend to drink decaf but do they take it white or black, heavily or lightly roasted, with or without sugar? Is it paper filtered, put through an espresso machine or even instant freeze dried coffee? These are all factors that could have an effect.

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