Drinking up to 25 cups of coffee a day is no worse for the arteries as drinking one, according to a new study.
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London looked at 8,412 people across the UK.
They found that those who drink less than one cup of coffee a day or drink between one and three cups were no more likely to develop stiffening arteries than those who drank less than one cup.
The participants in the latest study underwent MRI heart scans and infrared pulse wave tests.
The results were not affected even by factors such as age, weight, or smoking.
The new research was partly funded by the British Heart Foundation and is being presented at the British Cardiovascular Society Conference in Manchester.
Dr Kenneth Fung, from Queen Mary University of London 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 that coffee isn’t as bad for the arteries as previous studies would suggest.
“Although our study included individuals who drink up to 25 cups a day, the average intake amongst the highest coffee consumption group was five cups a day.
“We would like to study these people more closely in our future work so that we can help to advise safe limits.’
Professor Metin Avkiran, associate medical director at the BHF, said the study “rules out one of the potential detrimental effects of coffee on our arteries”.
