Drinking coffee in the morning may provide greater health benefits than consuming it throughout the day, according to new research.
A study involving over 40,000 adults in the United States found that the timing of coffee consumption could impact health outcomes, particularly the risk of death from heart disease.
Researchers observed two main patterns of coffee drinking, those who consumed coffee predominantly in the morning and those who drank it all day.
The findings revealed that 36% of participants were classified as morning coffee drinkers, while 14% were all-day drinkers.
Over a nearly decade-long follow-up period, researchers from Tulane University tracked participants’ health and discovered that morning coffee drinkers had a 16% lower risk of death compared to non-coffee drinkers.
This group also demonstrated a 31% reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
By contrast, all-day coffee drinkers did not experience the same health benefits.
The study, published in the European Heart Journal, highlighted that higher coffee intake was “significantly” linked to lower mortality risk, but only for those who drank their coffee in the morning.
Researchers suggested that timing might play a critical role in how coffee interacts with the body, potentially influencing factors such as circadian rhythms, inflammation, and blood pressure.
This, in turn, leads to changes in cardiovascular risk factors such as inflammation and blood pressure.
“Further studies are needed to validate our findings in other populations, and we need clinical trials to test the potential impact of changing the time of day when people drink coffee.”
In a linked editorial, Professor Thomas Luuscher, from the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals in London, said: “Many all-day drinkers suffer from sleep disturbances”.
He wrote: “Overall, we must accept the now substantial evidence that coffee drinking, particularly in the morning hours, is likely to be healthy. Thus, drink your coffee, but do so in the morning!”