There is a relationship between coffee consumption and heart attacks, but there is always discussion about whether that relationship is positive or negative. Apparently, the way of preparing and consuming the drink is key in the cardiovascular effect.
Coffee consumption and heart attacks are linked, although scientific studies differ in their views on it. For some researchers, coffee increases cardiovascular risk, and for others, the opposite happens.
Among world drinks, coffee occupies an important place. It is taken in almost the entire planet and constitutes a habit that exceeds food itself. The coffee moment is, many times, a meeting and dialogue space.
Therefore, the effect it may have on health is of interest . There are so many consumers that, if an authentic risk to life is detected, strict measures should be taken.
In general, there is a bad press linking caffeine to cardiovascular risk factors . Furthermore, it is not uncommon for patients who suffered heart attacks to suspend coffee by their own decision, without medical indication.
To talk about coffee consumption and heart attacks, it used to be established that caffeine was the substance to be studied . That brought up other drinks that also contain it, such as certain energizers. But a Swedish scientific study showed that coffee as such is a problem according to the way it is prepared and not precisely because of caffeine alone.
The way of drinking coffee and the risk of heart attacks
A study group from the University of Gothenburg investigated the differences between the cardiac effects of various forms of coffee preparation . It is interesting how each modality affects the mortality of the studied groups.
According to this study, the filter is the main determinant of the relationship between coffee consumption and heart attacks. When coffee is filtered, substances with unwanted effects are prevented from reaching the body.
These substances are capable of increasing LDL cholesterol values, increasing heart rate and altering heart rate . All three issues are negative for the arteries and the heart. It is even worse if the individual in question has other worrying factors, such as obesity, or a higher risk pathology, such as diabetes.
According to researchers in Sweden, when coffee is not filtered, 30 times more toxic substances pass into the body than those that filter. That difference can be significant in terms of health.
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Studies with contrary opinions
On the other hand, contrary to the Swedish researchers, there are meta-analyzes that advocate the use of coffee as a cardiac protector , rather than as a risk factor. This was part of the cardiological recommendations in the last decade.
A meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found no association between coffee consumption and heart attacks. On the contrary, the effects that emerged from the review speak of a benefit .
In the analyzed subjects, if they drank up to 4 cups of coffee daily, they had an 18% lower risk of dying earlier. In conclusion, regular and moderate coffee drinkers had a longer survival.
The explanation could be in the antioxidants in coffee , which are ingested together with caffeine. These substances are important for cellular aging , since they block the internal toxins that the human being produces by the mere fact of being alive.
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Cortisol problem: coffee consumption and heart attacks
Caffeine is a substance that increases the production of cortisol in the body . Cortisol is known as the stress hormone, since it is released by humans to increase its alert and defense response.
When there is excess cortisol, the heart rate increases and the blood pressure rises slightly. Both situations are not desirable in a cardiac patient, or in someone with high cardiovascular risk.
Regular drinkers get used to those slightly increased cortisol levels . The elevation of blood pressure is not significant and does not appear to increase cardiac pumping. Anyway, those who are suspicious of the drink and its effect on the heart, avoid it for this reason.
It is not clear that coffee consumption leads to heart attacks due to cortisol, but research is ongoing . Keeping the levels of this hormone at bay is one of the therapeutic hopes against high blood pressure, for example.
Should we consume coffee?
The answer is that we can have coffee if we like the drink . Like everything in life, moderation will be a way to ensure that possible adverse effects do not appear.
It is important to understand that drinking coffee alone cannot lead to heart attacks . Other aspects such as diet and exercise are involved in the cardiovascular risk equation. Ultimately, it is healthy habits that take care of us.
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