Morning coffee may lower risk of heart disease and premature death, study finds

A new study suggests that drinking coffee in the morning may offer significant heart health benefits and could even help lower overall mortality risk.

The research, published Jan. 8 in the European Heart Journal, found that adults who consumed their coffee primarily before noon had a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and all causes compared to non-coffee drinkers or those who spread their coffee consumption throughout the day.

“Drinking coffee in the morning shows a better beneficial relation than all-day drinking with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality,” said Lu Qi, who led the study.

The observational study analyzed data from over 40,000 adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and 1,463 participants from the Women’s and Men’s Lifestyle Validation Study. 

Participants were categorized as non-coffee drinkers (48%), “morning-type” coffee drinkers (about one-third), or “all-day-type” coffee drinkers (16%).

Over nearly a decade of follow-up, morning coffee drinkers showed a 16% reduction in all-cause mortality and a 31% reduction in cardiovascular disease-related deaths compared to non-coffee drinkers. 

No significant mortality benefit was observed for all-day coffee drinkers. Moderate and heavy morning coffee consumption, two to three cups or more, was associated with the greatest reduction in risk, while light morning consumption (one cup or less) showed smaller benefits.

Experts suggest that the timing of coffee may matter because it aligns with the body’s natural circadian rhythm. 

“Morning coffee goes along with this cycle, while continued drinking, particularly in the late afternoon, disrupts this cycle and sleep,” said Thomas Lüscher, who authored an accompanying editorial.

However, researchers caution that the findings are not conclusive. Morning coffee drinkers in the study tended to be predominantly white and have higher incomes, and the self-reported data limits broad applicability. 

“At most, one can say if you are a coffee drinker, consider limiting it to AM hours, but this study is not designed or powered to talk about causality,” said Abha Khandelwal, who was not involved in the study.

While the mechanism behind the benefits remains unclear, the study authors suggest that late-day coffee could disrupt sleep and melatonin production, which affects cardiovascular and overall health.