3 Cups of Coffee a Day Can Help Keep Your Arteries Clear

Coffee loves us, you guys. It just wants to help us stay awake, and at the same time, protect our hearts! Coffee is the friend who will never let us down. And thank god, because who can actually survive without it, right? A new study says that drinking 3 cups of coffee a day can help keep your arteries clear. Good news, all around!

gilmore girls coffee GIF

Image: Giphy

Researchers found that people who drink 3 cups of coffee a day have fewer calcium deposits in the aortic valve in their hearts. I’m no cardiologist, but that sounds like a good thing?

Scientists at the University of Sao Paulo made the discovery. During the study, they recorded the dietary information and Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) readings from more than 4,400 participants. Nearly all participants reported being coffee drinkers; 56% said they drank it at least twice a day, while 12% drank it more than three times a day. Around 10% of participants had a high CAC reading, meaning they had more calcium deposits in their arteries.

The researchers found an inverse correlation between how much coffee a participant drank, and their CAC level. Meaning, the more coffee they drank, the lower their calcium levels were. The participants who drank 3 cups of coffee a day or more had the lowest recorded levels.

But, researchers say they’re not entirely sure what it is about coffee that boosts heart health. They say it could be the caffeine, or it could be the antioxidant properties found in the magical little beans. Previous research suggests, however, that the caffeine may not be responsible for the boost. Decaffeinated coffee also boasts many of the same health benefits as the real stuff, minus the jitters.

But before you go mainlining coffee in an attempt to boost your heart health, researchers say that more than 3 cups of coffee a day doesn’t mean more benefits. In fact, consuming more than 4 cups a day could adversely affect your health in myriad ways. So cut yourself off at 3, and reap the health benefits!

And avoid that pesky hand tremor when you’ve had a bit too much caffeine.

(Image: Pixabay)

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