Good news for coffee addicts: your indulgence may save you from stroke.
A study published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association has come up with evidence linking regular coffee consumption with reduced stroke risk. Reports of the study indicate that women who drink more coffee possess a lesser likelihood of suffering from stroke than those who drank less. More specifically, the study revealed that coffee addicts (those who have 4 or more cups a day) have a 20% reduced risk of stroke. Those who drink 2 to 3 cups a day have a reduced risk of 19%. Those who drink 5 to 7 cups of coffee in a week show a 12% reduced likelihood of stroke.
These results come from the Nurses’ Health Study, an observational study covering 20 years. Data gathering began in 1980 involving 8,073 women participants of excellent health – no diagnosed history of heart disease, stroke or cancer at baseline. Documentation of their health took place every two to four years through food frequency questionnaires and check-ups.
Indulgence, however, only allows coffee, not cigarettes. The research pointed out that while increased coffee consumption has benefits, smoking overrides it. The study found that women nonsmokers who drank four cups or more in a day had a 43% decrease in stroke risk. Those who smoked and drank at the same frequency only had a 3% risk reduction for stroke.
Lead researcher Esther Lopez-Garcia noted that findings were due to coffee’s antioxidants that lower inflammation and improve blood vessel function. She added that the benefits of coffee apply only to healthy people. Those diagnosed with high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol cannot expect the same results.
Scientists from UCLA and the University of Southern California gathered similar findings from an observational study using health survey data of 9,400 adults aged 40 years and older. The study concluded that those who drank more cups of coffee have shown to exhibit lesser possibilities of stroke risk.