Coffee lovers around the world know that regularly drinking coffee can be beneficial to your long-term health. It’s proven to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, boost your long-term memory, and even lower your risk of certain cancers. But, how much coffee is too much coffee?
A new study has pinpointed the amount of coffee that exceeds these benefits. When we drink too much coffee, adverse health effects come into play. Instead of lowering your risk, drinking this much or more coffee regularly will significantly increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.
What is the magic number, you say? The study, done by Australian Centre for Precision Health at the University of South Australia, found that drinking 6 cups of coffee per day or more was associated with negative long-term health risks. The study noted that espresso ranked worse than regular brews or instant coffee in containing a cholesterol-rising component called Cafestol, but that that alone isn’t cause to switch.
Instead, the key is to make sure you’re not drinking that much coffee. While 6 seems like a high number, consider this: a large Tim Hortons coffee is about 2.5 regular cups (an extra large is 3 cups). And a grande at Starbucks is 2 regular cups. You can see how this could add up a bit faster than you thought. But, the key is moderation. As long as you play within the limits of this study, experts say that the host of benefits coffee has is well worth the second cup.
