How much coffee is too much?

13 May 2019

Written by Abigail Sawyer (Senior Editor)

Whatever way you may drink it, millions of people across the world struggle to begin their day without a good ol’ cup of coffee in hand. Although coffee is a sure-fire way to maintain the energy needed to see the day through, just how much coffee is too much?

A new study by the University of South Australia (SA, Australia) researchers suggests that drinking six or more cups of coffee every day can increase your risk of heart disease by up to 22%. Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death across the USA, with 1 in 4 total deaths attributed to the disease. However, prevention is possible.

“Coffee is the most commonly consumed stimulant in the world – it wakes us up, boosts our energy and helps us focus – but people are always asking ‘How much caffeine is too much?’,” explained study co-author Elina Hypponen.

“Most people would agree that if you drink a lot of coffee, you might feel jittery, irritable or perhaps even nauseous – that’s because caffeine helps your body work faster and harder, but is also likely to suggest that you may have reached your limit for the time being.”

The team state that their research confirms the point at which excess caffeine can lead to high blood pressure and marks the first time an upper limit has been placed on safe coffee consumption and cardiovascular health.

“We also know that risk of cardiovascular disease increases with high blood pressure, a known consequence of excess caffeine consumption.”

“In order to maintain a healthy heart and a healthy blood pressure, people must limit their coffees to fewer than six cups a day – based on our data six was the tipping point where caffeine started to negatively affect cardiovascular risk.”

The study utilized the data of 347,077 individuals aged 37–73 years old, investigating the caffeine-processing ability of the caffeine-metabolizing gene, CYP1A2, and identifying the increased risks of cardiovascular disease in line with coffee consumption and genetic variations.

“An estimated three billion cups of coffee are enjoyed every day around the world,” concluded Hypponen. “Knowing the limits of what’s good for you and what’s not is imperative. As with many things, it’s all about moderation; overindulge and your health will pay for it.”