The timing of coffee consumption is as important as the amount consumed.
According to a new study, people who drink coffee in the morning have a significantly lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and cancer compared to those who drink coffee throughout the day.
Impact on Mortality Risk
A large-scale study published in European Heart Journal on January 8, 2025, tracked over 40,000 adults for nearly a decade.
The researchers found two types of coffee drinkers: those who only drink coffee in the morning (36% of participants) and those who drink coffee throughout the day (about 15%).
Compared to non-coffee drinkers, those who drank coffee in the morning had a 16% lower risk of death from all causes. The reduction in cardiovascular mortality was even more pronounced, with morning coffee drinkers showing a 31% lower risk.
In contrast, those who drank coffee throughout the day did not experience a significant reduction in mortality risk.
Coffee Quantity Matters Too
The researchers also found that the timing of coffee consumption influences the relationship between the amount of coffee consumed and the risk of death.
Among those who drank coffee in the morning, both moderate drinkers (1 to 3 cups) and heavy drinkers (more than 3 cups) had the highest reduction in mortality risk, with moderate drinkers benefiting slightly more.
However, this benefit was not observed among those who drank coffee throughout the day. This suggests that drinking coffee in the morning is more beneficial for heart health and overall longevity than drinking it later in the day.
Possible Mechanisms
Dr. Lu Qi, the lead researcher and Professor at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, told The Epoch Times that while the exact mechanism explaining why drinking coffee in the morning reduces the risk of death from cardiovascular disease is not yet clear, drinking coffee in the afternoon or evening could disrupt circadian rhythms and melatonin levels.
These disruptions may affect cardiovascular risk factors such as inflammation and blood pressure.
“Previous studies have shown that drinking coffee is associated with a lower risk of death and a lower risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. Our study is the first to show that the timing of coffee consumption matters for health benefits, and that drinking coffee only in the morning may enhance these effects,” Dr. Qi said.
Dr. Qi emphasized the importance of considering both the timing and quantity of coffee consumed when evaluating its impact on health.
He added that further research is needed to confirm these findings in different populations and to examine the effects of changing coffee consumption timing.
