Two-thirds of Americans (66%) drink coffee every single day. It’s more commonly consumed than bottled water, tea (hot or iced), juice and even soda. There’s no doubt about it: We are a coffee-loving country.
Walk into any Dunkin or Starbucks and you’ll see that there is no shortage of ways to have your coffee either. Steamed with milk (or alternative milk), sweetened with a flavored syrup, iced and blended into a frappuccino…The options seem endless. But something cardiologists want everyone to know is that how you have your coffee matters.
Coffee is inherently a heart-healthy beverage. “Black coffee has been proven to have positive and protective effects on the heart for a few reasons, based on data from a few large studies. These studies followed people who consumed a moderate amount of coffee, which was considered to be two to four cups per day, and found that it was associated with lowering the risk for coronary artery disease and heart failure,” saysDr. Khashayar Hematpour, MD, a cardiologist with Memorial Hermann and UTHealth Houston.
Dr. David G. Rizik, MD,an interventional cardiologist and chief medical officer at High Level Science, says that one reason why coffee is good for the heart is because it’s high in antioxidants, which help prevent and lower inflammation.
“It's been suggested in some studies that coffee improves the function of our blood vessels by improving the function of the innermost layer of the blood vessels, which we call the endothelial layer. The blood vessel function is controlled by that endothelial layer, and it’s shown that coffee improves the function of that layer,” Dr. Hematpour says, of another way coffee supports heart health.
Unfortunately, there is one popular add-in that many people like in their coffee that cardiologists say takes away from these heart-healthy benefits.
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If you are adding sugar to your coffee (including in the form of a syrup), you’re taking away from the drink’s inherent health benefits. “Sugar is probably among the worst things that we can consume as far as our heart health. It’s probably very difficult to limit sugar to zero, but we have to lower it as much as possible,” says Dr. Hematpour.
Why is adding sugar to coffee so bad? Dr. Hematpour says that consuming excessive amounts of sugar can cause increased weight gain, diabetes and raise cholesterol levels—all risk factors for heart disease.
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Dr. Rohit Vuppuluri, DO, an interventional and vascular cardiologist at Chicago Heart & Vascular Specialists, also warns against adding sugar or flavored syrup to coffee drinks, especially if you consume a sugary coffee drink every day. “Adding sugar, syrups or whipped cream negates the cardiovascular benefits of coffee. Excess sugar raises blood pressure and increases the risk of diabetes—both key risk factors for heart disease,” he says, echoing Dr. Hematpour.
Dr. Vuppuluri explains that a high-sugar diet drives inflammation, elevates blood pressure and increases the risk of insulin resistance and diabetes, all of which strain the cardiovascular system over time. Dr. Rizik adds to this, saying that inflammation caused by a high-sugar diet plays a key role in plaque buildup in the arteries. This increases the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
Besides sugar, Dr. Hematpour says to avoid adding high-calorie ingredients, such as cream, to your coffee. He says that additives like cream turn a heart-healthy, low-calorie drink into a high-calorie, high-fat drink, which is not good for the heart.
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Heart-Healthy Ways to Sweeten Your Coffee
If you don’t like black coffee, you may be wondering how you can sweeten it up without harming your heart. While your first thought may be to use an artificial sweetener, the cardiologists warn against it. Dr. Hematpour says that consuming artificial sweeteners can lead to an increase in sugar cravings. On top of that, Dr. Rizik says that there is some scientific evidence that artificial sweeteners can negatively impact the gut—another reason to avoid them.
One natural sweetener that Dr. Vuppuluri recommends is monk fruit. “It offers sweetness, but doesn’t raise blood sugar, making it a better choice for heart health than sugar,” he says.
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Another healthy way to sweeten your coffee, Dr. Rizik says, is by adding a dash of cinnamon. Instead of causing blood sugar levels to spike the way sugar does, it helps regulate them. In fact, scientific research shows that consuming cinnamon regularly can help lower the risk of heart disease.
“With coffee, it's best to keep it as simple as possible, such as black coffee, black iced coffee or a shot of espresso. Limit the additives as much as possible,” Dr. Rizik says, offering one final word of advice.
The less complicated your coffee order is, the better it will be for your heart. Keep it short…and not so sweet.
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Sources
Dr. Khashayar Hematpour, MD, cardiologist with Memorial Hermann and UTHealth HoustonDr. David G. Rizik, MD,interventional cardiologist and chief medical officer at High Level ScienceDr. Rohit Vuppuluri, DO, interventional and vascular cardiologist at Chicago Heart & Vascular SpecialistsHence then, the article about the one habit cardiologists want every coffee drinker to break was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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