Coffee contains more than just caffeine; it’s a potent mix of bioactive compounds such as chlorogenic acid and phenols, plus vitamins and minerals. According to epidemiologic studies, consistent evidence linking coffee intake with reduced risks of stroke, heart failure, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease as well as protection against Alzheimer’s.

However, it should be remembered that most current research on coffee is observational in nature and doesn’t demonstrate a causal link between coffee consumption and health outcomes. Therefore, it remains unknown how caffeine exerts these effects.

Observational data have demonstrated that those living with arrhythmias and cardiovascular diseases tend to consume less coffee, and when they did consume it it was usually decaffeinated – perhaps driven by the perception that coffee may cause jitteriness and cardiac arrhythmias.

Researchers conducting a study published in JAMA monitored 449,563 participants of the UK Biobank who reported their levels of daily caffeine consumption including coffee and tea as well as beverages with caffeine content such as other beverages or medications they took and any supplements or medications they might be taking. Following that process, questionnaires and blood samples were used to ascertain how much of their total caloric intake came from caffeine or tea/coffee as well as cholesterol/triglyceride levels as well as risk for atrial fibrillation/arrhythmia/death risk.

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