Coffee is so much more than just a drink. Coffee is a sweet elixir of happiness that helps me survive my working day. There is a reason restaurants offer you a coffee at the end of your meal, and that's because they're saving the best thing until last.
Coffee can be enjoyed at any time of the day and can come in so many different varieties; it truly is the best brown liquid I know. However, my girlfriend has asked me on many occasions: "Is six coffees in five hours really good for you?" Well, as it turns out, I'm fine!
You see, my girlfriend, like many people out there, was under the impression that too much coffee "stiffens arteries, [puts] pressure on the heart and [increases] the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke", as recorded in previous studies, The Guardian claims.
Back in 2001, the European Society of Cardiology was informed that an individual's morning coffee could damage arteries, with experts warning that too many could lead to a blood pressure condition called systolic hypertension, The Telegraph reports.
But now coffee lovers everywhere are rejoicing, as a new study of more than 8,000 people across the UK claims that drinking five cups a day - and even up to 25 cups a day - was no worse for the arteries than drinking less than one cup a day.
Watch Emilia Clarke crack up after mascot mocks the Game of Thrones coffee cup blunder:The results of the study - which was part-funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) - were presented at the British Cardiovascular Society conference in Manchester, England.
The Telegraph reports that experts from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) studied a total of 8,412 participants, who were divided into three different groups for the study.
Group one consisted of those who consumed less than one cup of coffee a day, the second group consisted of those who drank between one and three cups a day, and the final group looked at those who drank over three cups of coffee in a day.
Incredibly, some participants in group three consumed up to 25 cups a day - however, the final average number for people in this group was five cups in a day (and I would unashamedly fit into this group).
Incredibly, the study's researchers found that those drinking up to 25 cups of java a day did not bear an increased risk of stiffening arteries, compared with those people who drank less than one cup a day.
As reported by The Guardian, Dr Kenneth Fung from QMUL said:
"Despite the huge popularity of coffee worldwide, different reports could put people off from enjoying it.
"Whilst we can’t prove a causal link in this study, our research indicates coffee isn’t as bad for the arteries as previous studies would suggest."
Indeed, every participant in their study underwent MRI heart scans and infrared pulse wave tests in order to properly analyse the effects of drinking coffee. Researchers also took factors such as weight, smoking habits, and age into account - and the results still held true.
The Guardian also reports how Professor Metin Avkiran, associate medical director at the BHF, said the findings "[rule] out one of the potentially detrimental effects of coffee on our arteries".
So there you have it. The next time your other half gets on your case about you having your 11th coffee of the day, just tell them to do their research.
