A cappuccino or a short black coffee in the morning is an essential element for many people looking to start their day. But while coffee can be a vital feature of daily routine, how much is too much?

While the pros and cons of drinking coffee have been debated for decades, new research from the University of South Australia reveals that taking six or more coffees a day can be harmful to your health, which increases your risk of heart disease up to 22 percent.

In Australia, one in six people is affected by cardiovascular diseases. It is one of the main causes of death: a person dies from the disease every 12 minutes. According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death, but one of the most preventable.

Investigating the association between long-term coffee consumption and cardiovascular disease, UniSA researchers, Dr. Ang Zhou and Professor Elina Hyppönen of the Australian Center for Precision Health say their research confirms the point at which Too much caffeine can cause high blood pressure, a precursor to heart disease.

This is the first time that an upper limit has been placed on the safe consumption of coffee and cardiovascular health.

“Coffee is the most consumed stimulant in the world, it awakens us, it increases our energy and it helps us to concentrate, but people always ask” how much caffeine is too much? “Says Professor Hyppönen.

Coffee contains caffeine, an alkaloid that possesses, among others, stimulating properties. For this reason it is consumed mostly in the morning, or during work hours, and sometimes at night, by those who want to stay awake and focused.

In the preparation of a coffee, caffeine appears at the end. When the water passes through the coffee mill, it is initially impregnated with the aromas and then only with caffeine. This represents an opposite scheme to the process with tea. Contrary to a preconceived idea, a long espresso will be more stimulating than a short coffee. The amount of caffeine also depends on the type of coffee.

“Most people would agree that if you drink a lot of coffee, you may feel nervous, irritable or even nauseated, because caffeine helps your body work faster and harder, but it is also likely to suggest that you can have reached your limit, being for the moment.

“We also know that the risk of cardiovascular disease increases with high blood pressure, a known consequence of excessive caffeine consumption.

“To maintain a healthy heart and healthy blood pressure, people should limit their coffees to less than six cups a day, according to our data, six was the turning point in which caffeine began to adversely affect cardiovascular risk.”

Using data from the UK Biobank of 347,077 participants aged 37 to 73 years, the study explored the ability of the caffeine-metabolizing gene (CYP1A2) to better process caffeine, identifying higher risks of cardiovascular disease in line with coffee consumption and the genetic variations.

Professor Hyppönen says that although carriers of fast-processing genetic variation are four times faster in caffeine metabolism, the research does not support the belief that these people could consume more caffeine safely, more frequently , without harmful effects to health.

“Knowing the limits of what is good for you and what is not good is imperative.” As with many things, it’s all about moderation; the excess and his health will pay for it “.

Excessive coffee consumption was associated with a modest increase in the risk of CVD, but this association was not affected by the genetic variants that influence the metabolism of caffeine.

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