The consumption of coffee in excess can be harmful to those with very high blood pressure, even though it is generally considered a heart-healthy beverage when consumed in moderation. A study published on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that drinking more than two cups of coffee daily increases the risk of death from heart disease.
The study found that people who drank two or more cups of coffee were twice as likely to die of heart disease as those who did not.
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A group of Japanese researchers analyzed the health data of 18,609 participants aged 40 to 79. The study found that green tea consumption in any amount did not affect heart health. Even though heavy coffee drinking increased the risk of hypertension in people with severe blood pressure, it did not occur in people with normal or slightly higher blood pressure.
Hiroyasu Iso, the study’s primary author, told the American Heart Association that the study found a link between coffee drinking and heart disease death. Iso said, “These findings may support the assertion that people with severe high blood pressure should avoid excessive coffee consumption.”
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One to two cups of coffee per day “doesn’t seem to be harmful,” according to the AHA website, but the group does not have an official recommendation on the amount of coffee to drink. Earlier this year, a large paper analyzing the health of 171,000 UK residents found regular coffee drinkers were 16 to 21% less likely to die prematurely than those who didn’t drink coffee.
In recent years, however, newer studies have illuminated coffee’s potentially harmful effects. According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, drinking coffee while pregnant may affect the child’s height after birth.