Researchers have found an unexpected link between the timing of coffee consumption and overall health.
People who drink coffee in the morning receive benefits that are not seen in those who consume the beverage later in the day, according to the first major study on the health benefits of coffee at different times, reports The Guardian, as noted by UNN.
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"An analysis of coffee consumption among more than 40,000 adults showed that those who drink coffee in the morning have a 16% lower chance of dying from any cause and a 31% lower chance of dying from cardiovascular diseases over a 10-year observation period compared to those who abstain from coffee," the publication states.
However, as researchers found, the heart health benefits seem to diminish for individuals who drink coffee during the day, with medical records indicating no significant reduction in mortality among those who consume it throughout the day compared to those who avoid coffee, the publication notes.
"It's not just about whether you drink coffee or how much you drink, but also the time of day you consume coffee," said Professor Lu Qi, a nutrition and epidemiology expert at Tulane University in New Orleans. "Usually, we don't give advice about timing in our dietary recommendations, but perhaps we should consider it in the future."
The study was based on the dietary habits of 40,725 adults, including the amount of coffee consumed and the timing of its consumption, who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the U.S. from 1999 to 2018. About 36% drank coffee in the morning, while 16% drank coffee later in the day.
The results, published in the European Heart Journal, were verified in a smaller group of 1,463 individuals who filled out detailed weekly food and drink diaries.
The study suggests that "morning coffee is healthier for the heart than evening coffee, but does not explain why." "One possible explanation is that consuming coffee later in the day may disrupt circadian rhythms and hormone levels, such as melatonin. This, in turn, affects sleep, inflammation, and blood pressure, all of which can harm heart health," the publication states.
In an accompanying editorial, Professor Thomas Lüscher, a consultant cardiologist from Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals in London, notes that many who drink throughout the day have poor sleep, adding that coffee appears to suppress melatonin, a hormone essential for falling asleep.
"The effect is largely due to caffeine, but coffee contains hundreds of other bioactive compounds that influence our physiology. Researchers say that some inflammatory substances in the blood often peak in the morning and can be counteracted by the anti-inflammatory compounds in morning coffee," the publication writes.
"This applies to both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee," researchers point out.