Health benefits of drinking coffee 0:43
(CNN) --
Drinking two to three cups a day of most types of coffee can protect against cardiovascular disease and premature death, according to a new study.
"The results suggest that mild to moderate consumption of ground, instant and decaffeinated coffee should be considered part of a healthy lifestyle," said study author Peter Kistler, chief of clinical electrophysiology research at the Baker Institute of the Heart and Diabetes and head of electrophysiology at Melbourne's Alfred Hospital.
The researchers found "significant reductions" in the risk of coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, and stroke for all three types of coffee.
However, only caffeinated instant and ground coffee reduced the risk of an irregular heartbeat called arrhythmia.
Decaffeinated coffee did not reduce that risk, according to the study published Wednesday in the academic journal European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
Previous studies have also found that moderate amounts of black coffee, between 3 and 5 cups daily, have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, as well as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, type 2 diabetes, liver disease and prostate cancer.
"This manuscript adds to the body of evidence from observational trials associating moderate coffee consumption with cardiovascular protection, which looks promising," said Charlotte Mills, professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Reading, UK, it's a statement.
However, this study, like many others done in the past, was observational only and therefore cannot prove direct cause and effect, added Mills, who was not involved in the study.
"Does coffee make you healthy, or do people who are inherently healthier drink coffee?" he asked.
"Randomized controlled trials are needed to test the relationship between coffee and cardiovascular health."
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Caffeinated ground coffee reduced risk the most
The study used data from the UK Biobank, a research database containing the coffee drinking preferences of almost 450,000 adults who did not have arrhythmias or other cardiovascular diseases at the start of the study.
The participants were divided into four groups: those who enjoyed caffeinated ground coffee, those who chose decaf coffee, those who preferred caffeinated instant coffee, and those who drank no coffee at all.
After an average of 12.5 years, the researchers examined medical and death records for reports of arrhythmias, cardiovascular disease, stroke and death.
After adjusting for age, diabetes, ethnicity, high blood pressure, obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, gender, smoking, and tea and alcohol consumption, the researchers found that all types of coffee were associated with a reduction in death from any cause.
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The fact that both caffeinated and decaf coffee were beneficial "might suggest that it's not just the caffeine that might account for any associated risk reduction," said Duane Mellor, a registered dietitian and senior professor at the University of California College of Medicine. Aston University in Birmingham, UK, in a statement.
He did not participate in the study.
"Caffeine is the most well-known component of coffee, but this drink contains more than 100 biologically active components," said Kistler, who is a professor of medicine at the University of Melbourne and Monash University.
"It is likely that the non-caffeinated compounds were responsible for the observed positive associations between coffee consumption, cardiovascular disease and survival," Kistler said.
Drinking two to three cups of coffee a day was linked to the greatest reduction in premature death, compared to people who didn't drink coffee, according to the release.
Ground coffee consumption reduced the risk of death by 27%, followed by 14% for decaf and 11% for caffeinated instant coffee.
The relationship between coffee and reduced risk of heart disease and stroke was not as strong: Drinking two to three cups a day of ground coffee reduced risk by 20%, while the same amount of decaf reduced the risk by 6% and the instant by 9%.
The data changed when it came to the impact of coffee on irregular heartbeats: Four to five daily cups of caffeinated ground coffee reduced the risk by 17%, while two to three daily cups of instant coffee decreased the probability. of arrhythmia by 12%, according to the statement.
More studies needed
One limitation of the study was that participants reported coffee consumption at a single point in time, said Annette Creedon, a nutritional scientist and manager of the British Nutrition Foundation, which is partially funded by food producers, retailers and food service companies.
"This study had a median follow-up period of 12.5 years during which many aspects of the participants' diet and lifestyle may have changed," Creedon said in a statement.
She was not involved in the investigation.
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Also, coffee can cause negative side effects in some people, he added.
People with sleep problems or uncontrolled diabetes, for example, should consult a doctor before adding caffeine to their diet.
These negative side effects "may be especially relevant for individuals who are sensitive to the effects of caffeine," Creedon said.
"Therefore, the conclusions of this study do not indicate that people should start drinking coffee if they don't already, or that they should increase their intake."
Most studies focus on the health benefits of black coffee, and don't take into account the added sugars, creamers, milks, and processed additives that many people use in coffee.
"A simple cup of coffee, maybe with a little milk, is very different from a great flavored latte with syrup and cream added," Mellor said.
In addition, the way you prepare the coffee can also affect its health benefits.
Filtered coffee traps a compound called cafestol that exists in the oily part of the coffee.
Cafestol can increase bad cholesterol or LDL (low-density lipoproteins).
However, using a French press, a Turkish coffee pot, or boiling the coffee (as is often done in Scandinavian countries), does not remove cafestol.
And finally, the benefits of coffee don't apply to minors: Even teenagers shouldn't drink colas, coffees, energy drinks or other beverages with any amount of caffeine, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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