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Caffeine From Four Cups of Coffee Protects the Heart With the Help of Mitochondria

  • August 10, 2018

As coffee moves to the forefront of studies looking to ascertain its health benefits, new research shows that drinking four cups of caffeinated coffee helps your body’s mitochondria protect cardiovascular cells from damage. As reported by MedicalXpress, researchers believe these findings indicate “a new mode of action for caffeine [that] promotes protection and repair of heart muscle.”

Coffee has been identified over recent years as having several health benefits, including lowering the risks of some of the most serious and common diseases, such as stroke, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. This new research goes a step further, but is very specific in defining four cups as the “sweet spot” for achieving heart protection.

On the other end, so to speak, drinking four cups of caffeinated coffee daily has also been shown to lower the risk of colon cancer recurrence or death by 52 percent, compared to those who drink no coffee at all. (Drinking two or three cups was also beneficial, lowering the risk by 31 percent.)

Coffee’s benefit is due in part to beneficial antioxidants and in part due to the caffeine, which increases your body’s sensitivity to insulin, thereby reducing inflammation — a risk factor for cancer and other chronic diseases. If this makes you want to run out and buy a cupboard full of coffee, be sure to choose the best, most healthful coffee when you go, and be aware that there are lots of health benefits to drinking organic, dark-roasted coffee.

One precaution: The health benefits cited here come from drinking coffee, not taking caffeine pills or the popular heavily caffeinated canned beverages. Caffeine in excess can cause health problems, including death, especially in children and youths.