Title:The Cardiovascular Benefits of Caffeinated Beverages: Real or Surreal?
“Metron Ariston - All in Moderation”
Volume: 29
Issue: 13
Author(s): Antonis A. Manolis, Theodora A. Manolis , Evdoxia J. Apostolopoulos , Helen Melita and Antonis S. Manolis*
Affiliation:
- First Department
of Cardiology, Athens University School of Medicine, Athens, Greece
Keywords:
Coffee, caffeine, caffeinated beverages, cardiovascular disease, cardiac arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, hypertension.
Abstract: Caffeinated beverages are the most widely consumed beverages globally with
coffee and tea as the two most prominent sources of caffeine. Caffeine content varies
across different types of beverages. In addition to caffeine, coffee and tea have other biologically
active compounds, and all may affect general and cardiovascular (CV) health.
Moderate caffeine consumption (<300-400 mg/day), regardless of the source, is considered
safe by both European and US Health Authorities, as it is not associated with adverse
health and CV effects, while it may confer certain health benefits. There is a nonlinear association
between coffee ingestion and CV risk; moderate coffee drinking is inversely
significantly associated with CV risk, with the highest benefit at 2-4 cups per day, while
heavy coffee drinking might confer increased risk. With regards to tea, due to a lower caffeine
content per serving, its consumption is only limited by the total caffeine daily intake.
Both these caffeinated beverages, coffee and tea, have additional phenolic compounds,
with anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, which confer cardioprotective
benefits. Of the several coffee compounds, chloroacetic acids and melanoidins offer such
beneficial effects, while diterpenes may have unfavorable effects on lipids. Most of the
tea ingredients (polyphenols) are cardioprotective. A major concern relates to energy
drinks with their much higher caffeine content which puts individuals, especially adolescents
and young adults, at high health and CV risk. All these issues are herein discussed,
including pertinent studies and meta-analyses, pathogenetic mechanisms involved and
relevant recommendations from health authorities.