For years, doctors told patients with heart conditions to give up coffee. Now, the American Heart Association (AHA) says otherwise: A new scientific statement finds that up to five cups a day are safe for most adults—and may actually be protective.
For cardiologist Dr. Afshine Emrani, the news was encouraging.
“Over the past decade, the evidence has steadily shifted away from the old belief that coffee is harmful for the heart,” Emrani told The Epoch Times.
He noted that earlier studies blaming coffee for heart problems often failed to fully account for other factors, such as smoking, that may have skewed the results.
Dr. Gregory M. Marcus, who chaired the AHA committee that wrote the statement, said the group wasn’t surprised that coffee turned out to be safe. What surprised them was how consistently the data pointed to real benefits.
“We were quite surprised at how the majority of the data seemed to favor protective effects across a variety of cardiovascular risk factors and quite different cardiovascular disease outcomes,” Marcus told The Epoch Times in an email.
Key Takeaways
The statement’s key takeaways include the following:
Up to five cups a day (8 ounces each) is safe for most adults.
Filtered coffee, including drip and pour-over, may be better for cholesterol than unfiltered methods such as French press or Turkish coffee.
Black coffee is best, as sugar, cream, and flavored syrups likely cancel out some of the benefits.
Energy drinks are not the same as coffee because they can raise blood pressure and aren’t backed by the same research.
Most of the findings are observational, meaning they show a strong link, but don’t prove that coffee causes the benefits.
One of the most useful parts of the new statement is its nuance, Emrani said.
“Instead of treating coffee as simply ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ it acknowledges that the effects depend on the amount consumed, the method of preparation, and the individual,” he said.
How You Brew Coffee Matters
One of the most consequential factors in whether coffee is good for you is how it is brewed—and whether it’s filtered. Coffee beans contain oily, fat-soluble compounds called diterpenes that are known to significantly raise “bad” LDL cholesterol. A paper filter removes almost all of them, which is why drip coffee and pour-over are considered the safer choices.
Conversely, unfiltered methods, such as Scandinavian boiled coffee, Turkish or Greek coffee, and French press, allow these compounds to pass straight into your cup.
Instant coffee, somewhat surprisingly, also showed very low levels of diterpenes, making it a good choice for people worried about their cholesterol levels.
Caffeine Type Matters
Caffeine comes in many forms—from coffee to soda to energy drinks—and the type matters for health outcomes. The health benefits described in the statement are specific to coffee.
Energy drinks, by contrast, were shown to significantly increase both systolic and diastolic blood pressures in healthy adults. Conversely, the statement also notes that green coffee bean extract can lower both blood pressure readings, especially in people with elevated baseline levels, highlighting that caffeine isn’t a simple substance with uniform effects.
Emrani said that, ultimately, there is no one-size-fits-all recommendation.
“Genetics, medical conditions, medications, and individual sensitivity all influence how someone responds to caffeine.”
Benefits Beyond Caffeine
One of the statement’s clearest results was that coffee reduced the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
What’s notable is that the benefit showed up in both regular and decaffeinated coffee.
Emrani said that coffee contains hundreds of natural plant compounds, including antioxidants that help protect cells from damage while supporting healthy blood vessels, reducing inflammation, and helping the body use insulin more effectively.
“Because many of these benefits are seen in people who drink decaffeinated coffee, the evidence strongly suggests that coffee’s protective effects come from its entire natural chemical composition rather than caffeine alone,” he said.
The Blood Pressure Paradox
This is where the findings become counterintuitive: Among people who already had healthy blood pressure, drinking one to three cups of coffee a day was linked to a slightly higher risk of developing high blood pressure over time—but drinking more than three cups a day was linked to a lower risk.
At first glance, the finding seems surprising because of caffeine’s effects on the body: It is a powerful stimulant that affects the central nervous system and increases blood pressure and heart rate, especially right after you drink it.
Emrani described the seeming contradiction this way: People who drink coffee regularly develop a significant tolerance to that short-term spike.
He added that, over time, the long-term effect on blood pressure evens out, and for habitual drinkers, it may end up being net positive.
“This reminds us that short-term physiological effects do not always predict long-term health outcomes.”
Interpreting Observational Findings
The statement is clear that the majority of the findings were observational and cannot prove cause and effect. Observational studies involve researchers observing what happens naturally without offering a treatment or changing the behavior of those being observed.
“The vast majority of the data presented in the document are observational studies. These studies—for a common nutritional exposure and a common health outcome—are useless,” he wrote.
“You might as well read tarot cards if you want to rely on observational nutritional studies,” he added in the post.
Others see them as an important part of a broader data set.
Emrani said that although we should interpret observational studies carefully, we shouldn’t dismiss them.
What This Means for Coffee Drinkers
For Emrani, the shift changes the conversation he has with patients.
He now tells patients, “If you enjoy moderate amounts of plain, filtered coffee and it doesn’t cause symptoms, there is no reason to stop—and it may actually be part of a heart-healthy lifestyle.”
The statement defines moderate consumption as up to 400 milligrams of caffeine daily, or about three to five 8-ounce cups of coffee.
He also encourages patients to focus on the bigger picture, noting that the greatest benefits still come from living a heart-healthy lifestyle, which includes maintaining a healthy weight, eating a healthy diet, sleeping well, avoiding smoking, and keeping blood pressure and cholesterol under control.
Marcus, who also treats patients with atrial fibrillation, said the findings have made him more comfortable letting those patients continue drinking caffeinated beverages if they already enjoy them. He’s careful to draw a line, though. “The evidence is not yet sufficient to recommend initiating caffeine consumption among those who aren’t interested, nor to suggest anyone necessarily should increase their caffeine consumption,” he said.
For the millions of people who start their day with a cup of joe, coffee may have just become a little more satisfying, said Emrani.
“Coffee can now come with a little less guilt—and perhaps a little more appreciation that one of life’s simplest pleasures may also support long-term health.”
