A recent study has found that drinking moderate amounts of coffee or tea could lower the risk of developing serious heart-related diseases. The research, led by Dr. Chaofu Ke from Soochow University in China, suggests that three cups of coffee or tea a day might help reduce the risk of cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CM).

CM refers to having at least two conditions like heart disease, stroke or type 2 diabetes at the same time. Dr. Ke believes that coffee and caffeine might protect the body from these diseases as they develop, CNN reported.

The study looked at data from around 1,80,000 people in the UK, who did not have heart or metabolic diseases at the start. Researchers tracked their caffeine intake from coffee or tea and monitored which diseases they developed later.

“Coffee and caffeine consumption may play an important protective role in almost all phases of CM development,” CNN quoted Ke as saying.

The results showed that those who drank three cups of coffee daily had a 48.1% lower risk of developing CM, and even those who consumed 200-300 mg of caffeine daily had a 40.7% reduced risk compared to people who drank little or no coffee.

The study gathered data on the participants’ caffeine intake through coffee, black tea or green tea. It also tracked any heart-related diseases they developed, using their medical records, hospital data, and death certificates.

Not a conclusive study

Dr. Gregory Marcus from the University of California, San Francisco, who was not part of the research, said the study’s findings support the idea that caffeine, especially in tea and coffee, might improve heart health.

However, he has also told the publication that the study cannot prove that caffeine directly causes better heart health as other factors might play a role.

He also warned that high doses of caffeine, especially from energy drinks, could be harmful and lead to heart rhythm problems.