Scientists at the University of South Australia have found that frequent coffee consumption (six cups or more per day) increases blood lipids, which significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. This is reported in an article published in the journal Clinical Nutrition, and the scientific work is summarized in a press release on MedicalXpress.
The study involved 362,571 people aged 37 to 73 years. Experts have studied the genetic and phenotypic links between coffee consumption and cholesterol and blood fat levels. High blood lipids are a known risk factor for heart disease. At the same time, coffee beans contain a substance called cafeestol, which increases cholesterol levels. Filtered and instant coffee contains very little or no cafeestol, so it can be less dangerous.
It turned out that the correlation is not only positive, but also dose-dependent, that is, the more a person drinks coffee, the higher the likelihood of heart attack and stroke.
An estimated three billion cups of coffee are consumed every day worldwide. Moreover, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, claiming about 17.9 million lives annually.