A recent study looking into the amounts of coffee drank by elderly people aged between 65 and 100 have unearthed some suprising discoveries. They found that people within this age group who drank moderate amounts of coffee had healthier hearts because the blood vessels surrounding their hearts had become more elastic than the people who drank less, or no, coffee.
The author of the study now suggests that people with high blood pressure should be encouraged to drink more coffee to help to reduce the problem and all of the risk associated with it.
Coffee Extract is also used to aid Weight Loss by suppressing the amount of glucose that is absorbed in the small intestine.
The research was carried out on the small Greek island of Ikaria by the University of Athens. The island was chosen due to the high rates of people living past 90 years old.They used 485 of the elderly population of the island and used heart scans to determine how healthy the blood vessels were around their hearts. If the blood vessels were more rigid then this is often seen as a sign of impending heart problems in the future.
The results showed that drinking one to two cups of coffee a day caused a marked improvement in the condition of the blood vessels around the heart, therefore lowering the risks of heart problems. It was also noted that drinking the number of cups of coffee to three of more showed no evidence of any further benefit. Caffeine is known to restrict blood vessels and this is thought to be the reason why the improvements stopped at the two cup stage, as the caffeine level would be becoming high enough to be a factor.
The study took into account other factors that would influence blood vessel health including age, gender, physical activity, body weight and diabetes.
Dr Chrysohoou, who lead the experiment, said the findings also suggested that there might be a link between moderate coffee consumption and lower risks of heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity and poor kidney function.
It is thought chemicals in coffee improve heart health by preventing damage caused by oxygen molecules and blocking harmful nitric oxide.
Other nutrients including flavonoids, magnesium, potassium, niacin and vitamin E all combat the harmful effect of oxygen on cells.
Greek coffee is traditionally boiled and not filtered so is higher in these compounds, Dr Chrysohoou said.
The authors said in patients with high blood pressure there has already been damage caused by nitric oxide so this may be why they see more of a beneficial effect from coffee.
Dr Euan Paul – Executive Director of the British Coffee Association, said: “These new study findings from the University of Athens highlight that moderate coffee consumption is associated with improved elasticity of the arteries amongst those that drink coffee compared with those that drink less coffee.
“This is important as it indicates that coffee consumption may reduce the risk of developing atherosclerosis and future cardiovascular events by improving aortic distensibility.
“Coffee is one of the most heavily researched products in the world today, this study adds to the weight of scientific evidence which shows that moderate coffee consumption of around 4 – 5 cups per day, is safe and may even confer some health benefits.”
There are many products on the market aimed at giving you a healthier heart. Ateronon is made from tomato extract and reduces the amount of cholesterol in your body by stopping its oxidation. Omacor contains a concentrated type of Omega-3 which is often advised to heart attack patients to reduce the risk of further complications.