January 15, 2025 • 9 mins
How much coffee is too much? In this episode of Daily Value, we look at the link between coffee consumption and cognitive health. Drawing on a recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (PMID: 39673298), we examine how bioactive compounds in coffee, such as chlorogenic acids and trigonelline, may protect against cognitive decline and inflammation.
Discussion Points:
- Insights from the Swiss Atrial Fibrillation Cohort, showing enhanced processing speed and visuomotor coordination and attention in individuals drinking a certain threshold of coffee daily compared to non-coffee drinkers
- a predicted cognitive age nearly 7 years younger in high coffee consumers.
- Practical considerations for incorporating coffee into a healthy diet, including dosage, tolerance, and quality.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39673298/
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 0 (00:00):
Does five cups of coffee every day sound like too
much coffee?
Well, one very recent studypublished in the Journal of the
American Heart Associationsuggests that that much coffee
may confer cognitive longevitybenefits.
Hello everyone, and welcomeback to Daily Value.
I'm William Wallace and todaywe're looking at the link
between coffee consumption andcognitive health, but also the
(00:24):
link to a condition calledatrial fibrillation, or AFib.
This episode will look into themechanisms behind coffee's
potential to preserve brainhealth, again touching on recent
findings from a December 2024study published in the Journal
of the American HeartAssociation.
Stick around to uncover howyour morning cup or two of
(00:46):
coffee could influence brainfunction at the cellular and
systemic levels.
Atrial fibrillation is the mostcommon arrhythmia in adults,
affecting about 5% of peopleover the age of 65, with
prevalence increasing with age.
While many associate AFib withheart health, it also is a
significant risk factor forcognitive decline, dementia and
(01:09):
even Alzheimer's disease, due tothings like 1.
Reduced cerebral blood flowirregular heartbeats can impair
the brain's oxygen and nutrientsupply.
2.
Chronic inflammation AFib islinked to elevated inflammatory
markers, including interleukin-6and C-reactive protein, which
contribute to vascular andneural damage, and three
(01:34):
thromboembolic risk.
Afib increases the likelihoodof microstrokes, which
accumulate over time andexacerbate cognitive impairment.
This dual burden of systemicinflammation and compromised
blood flow sets the stage foraccelerated brain aging in AFib
patients.
Now coffee consumption is also atopic of debate in this
(01:57):
population.
The guidelines for thediagnosis and management of
atrial fibrillation noted thatabstaining from caffeine to
prevent heart rhythmdisturbances is of no benefit to
people with AFib.
However, the guidelines alsonote that abstaining from coffee
could reduce symptoms inpatients who report that
(02:17):
caffeine triggers or worsenstheir AFib symptoms, which can
include a rapid heartbeat,dizziness, fatigue and more.
Furthermore, according to theUS dietary guidelines, three to
five eight-ounce cups of coffeeper day can be part of a healthy
diet, but that only refers toplain black coffee.
(02:38):
So I'll state aloud and notethat, importantly, popular
coffee-based drinks such aslattes or macchiatos that are
high in sugar and fat andoverall calories are not what we
are talking about here Now.
A growing body of evidencehighlights coffee I'll reiterate
coffee, not necessarilycaffeine itself in this instance
(02:59):
as a potential neuroprotectiveagent.
For instance, the Swiss atrialfibrillation cohort study
analyzed over 2,400 participantswith AFib age 73 on average to
evaluate coffee's impact oncognitive function.
Participants were grouped byhow many cups of coffee they
consumed daily less than one cup, just one cup, two to three
(03:22):
cups, four to five cups orgreater than five cups.
This study followedparticipants for eight years.
The findings were veryinteresting.
One there were improvedcognitive test scores.
Participants drinking more thanfive cups of coffee daily
scored 11% higher on tests ofprocessing speed, attention and
visuomotor coordination,compared to those consuming less
(03:45):
than one cup daily.
The results of this testallowed the cognitive age of
high coffee consumers to beestimated to be nearly seven
years younger than theircounterparts who drank no coffee
at all.
There were anti-inflammatoryeffects tied to coffee drinking.
Coffee drinkers exhibited lowerlevels of inflammatory markers.
(04:05):
Interleukin-6, a key driver ofsystemic inflammation, was
reduced by 27% in thoseconsuming over five cups per day
, compared to those consuming nocoffee.
Now I know what you're thinking.
Five cups of coffee that'soutrageous, unheard of.
Even I could never All thethings Well in this case.
(04:25):
I think many people don'tconsider that.
Older individuals that's thestudy population here drinking
that much coffee probably have afaster metabolism of caffeine
from coffee along with years oftolerance buildup.
They've likely been drinkingthat much coffee for a very long
time.
It's not the very same assomeone far younger trying to
(04:46):
limit caffeine and then jumpingto that many cups of coffee
daily.
So I think that that's worththinking about and considering.
So what are the proposedmechanisms that play?
Well, it's not just aboutcaffeine.
Coffee is a cocktail ofbioactive compounds.
We know that caffeine inhibitsadenosine receptors, which helps
maintain wakefulness andenhances synaptic plasticity.
(05:09):
This may counteract thesluggish neural activity often
seen in afib-related cognitivedecline or other forms of
cognitive decline, or actuallyother causes of cognitive
decline.
Next, coffee containschlorogenic acids, caffeic acid,
quinic acid, ferulic acid,along with flavonoids and
(05:30):
trigonoline, the latter mostbeing a methylated form of
niacin that has been shown toraise NAD plus levels in
preclinical models.
All of these compounds canassist in reducing oxidative
stress by neutralizing freeradicals in one way or another.
Oxidative stress is a keycontributor to vascular damage
and cognitive decline in AFibpatients.
(05:52):
By supporting faster processingspeeds and better visuomotor
coordination, coffee might helpmaintain cognitive reserve, that
is, the brain's ability tocompensate for age-related
changes.
Now, while observational studieslike this one we talked about
can't establish causation, theirfindings align with controlled
(06:12):
trials highlighting coffee'scognitive benefits.
For instance, a meta-analysispublished in Clinical Nutrition
in 2017 found that regularcoffee consumption was
associated with a 26% reducedrisk of developing Alzheimer's
disease.
Another study in Frontiers inNeuroscience suggested coffee's
role in modulating gut-brainsignaling, potentially
(06:35):
influencing neuroinflammation.
For AFib patients, thesefindings are particularly
significant because theyhighlight a potential lifestyle
intervention that doesn'texacerbate arrhythmia symptoms
in most individuals individuals,as I mentioned at the beginning
(06:56):
of this episode.
The 2023 ACC AHA guidelinesstate that caffeine does not
increase the risk of arrhythmiaepisodes in AFib patients unless
they are highly sensitive to it.
While promising and exciting,the SWISS study has its
limitations.
It was observational in nature.
It cannot confirm that coffeecauses cognitive benefits, only
that there's an association.
It was self-reported dataCoffee intake was self-reported
(07:19):
which introduces what's calledrecall bias.
Also, there was a lack ofstandardization the type, size
and strength of coffee weren'tcontrolled for which could
affect the outcomes here.
And then there was the studypopulation itself, which was
predominantly white and European, which does limit
generalizability.
If you're consideringincorporating more coffee into
(07:42):
your routine, here's what tokeep in mind.
Well, dosage matters, obviously.
The cognitive benefits proposedin this study were most
pronounced in people drinkingfive cups daily.
However, individual tolerancevaries and exceeding this may
lead to side effects likeanxiety, heart palpitations or
insomnia.
Choose quality.
(08:02):
Black coffee offers thebenefits without added sugars or
fats found in flavored lattes,for instance.
Monitor your response.
Afib patients, specifically,should be mindful of how
caffeine affects their symptoms.
Start with smaller amounts andgradually increase if tolerated
and, of course, if desired.
(08:22):
Lastly, pair with otherstrategies that include exercise
, diet and sleep.
This one goes without saying.
Please don't use this as anexcuse to slam caffeine in the
form of energy drinks orover-consume caffeine.
We are talking about coffeehere.
In closing, coffee may holdmore power than just perking you
up in the morning.
It could serve as a key playerin maintaining cognitive health,
(08:45):
even for individuals withatrial fibrillation.
The SWIS study adds to agrowing body of research
suggesting that coffee'sbioactive compounds can reduce
inflammation, protect neuronsand enhance cognitive
performance.
Thank you for tuning in totoday's episode of Daily Value.
If you found this episodeenlightening, please share it
(09:06):
with someone who might benefit.
Don't forget to subscribe, asthese episodes come out every
Monday, wednesday and Friday.
Until next time, stay curiousand stay healthy.
Does five cups of coffee every day sound like too
much coffee?
Well, one very recent studypublished in the Journal of the
American Heart Associationsuggests that that much coffee
may confer cognitive longevitybenefits.
Hello everyone, and welcomeback to Daily Value.
I'm William Wallace and todaywe're looking at the link
between coffee consumption andcognitive health, but also the
(00:24):
link to a condition calledatrial fibrillation, or AFib.
This episode will look into themechanisms behind coffee's
potential to preserve brainhealth, again touching on recent
findings from a December 2024study published in the Journal
of the American HeartAssociation.
Stick around to uncover howyour morning cup or two of
(00:46):
coffee could influence brainfunction at the cellular and
systemic levels.
Atrial fibrillation is the mostcommon arrhythmia in adults,
affecting about 5% of peopleover the age of 65, with
prevalence increasing with age.
While many associate AFib withheart health, it also is a
significant risk factor forcognitive decline, dementia and
(01:09):
even Alzheimer's disease, due tothings like 1.
Reduced cerebral blood flowirregular heartbeats can impair
the brain's oxygen and nutrientsupply.
2.
Chronic inflammation AFib islinked to elevated inflammatory
markers, including interleukin-6and C-reactive protein, which
contribute to vascular andneural damage, and three
(01:34):
thromboembolic risk.
Afib increases the likelihoodof microstrokes, which
accumulate over time andexacerbate cognitive impairment.
This dual burden of systemicinflammation and compromised
blood flow sets the stage foraccelerated brain aging in AFib
patients.
Now coffee consumption is also atopic of debate in this
(01:57):
population.
The guidelines for thediagnosis and management of
atrial fibrillation noted thatabstaining from caffeine to
prevent heart rhythmdisturbances is of no benefit to
people with AFib.
However, the guidelines alsonote that abstaining from coffee
could reduce symptoms inpatients who report that
(02:17):
caffeine triggers or worsenstheir AFib symptoms, which can
include a rapid heartbeat,dizziness, fatigue and more.
Furthermore, according to theUS dietary guidelines, three to
five eight-ounce cups of coffeeper day can be part of a healthy
diet, but that only refers toplain black coffee.
(02:38):
So I'll state aloud and notethat, importantly, popular
coffee-based drinks such aslattes or macchiatos that are
high in sugar and fat andoverall calories are not what we
are talking about here Now.
A growing body of evidencehighlights coffee I'll reiterate
coffee, not necessarilycaffeine itself in this instance
(02:59):
as a potential neuroprotectiveagent.
For instance, the Swiss atrialfibrillation cohort study
analyzed over 2,400 participantswith AFib age 73 on average to
evaluate coffee's impact oncognitive function.
Participants were grouped byhow many cups of coffee they
consumed daily less than one cup, just one cup, two to three
(03:22):
cups, four to five cups orgreater than five cups.
This study followedparticipants for eight years.
The findings were veryinteresting.
One there were improvedcognitive test scores.
Participants drinking more thanfive cups of coffee daily
scored 11% higher on tests ofprocessing speed, attention and
visuomotor coordination,compared to those consuming less
(03:45):
than one cup daily.
The results of this testallowed the cognitive age of
high coffee consumers to beestimated to be nearly seven
years younger than theircounterparts who drank no coffee
at all.
There were anti-inflammatoryeffects tied to coffee drinking.
Coffee drinkers exhibited lowerlevels of inflammatory markers.
(04:05):
Interleukin-6, a key driver ofsystemic inflammation, was
reduced by 27% in thoseconsuming over five cups per day
, compared to those consuming nocoffee.
Now I know what you're thinking.
Five cups of coffee that'soutrageous, unheard of.
Even I could never All thethings Well in this case.
(04:25):
I think many people don'tconsider that.
Older individuals that's thestudy population here drinking
that much coffee probably have afaster metabolism of caffeine
from coffee along with years oftolerance buildup.
They've likely been drinkingthat much coffee for a very long
time.
It's not the very same assomeone far younger trying to
(04:46):
limit caffeine and then jumpingto that many cups of coffee
daily.
So I think that that's worththinking about and considering.
So what are the proposedmechanisms that play?
Well, it's not just aboutcaffeine.
Coffee is a cocktail ofbioactive compounds.
We know that caffeine inhibitsadenosine receptors, which helps
maintain wakefulness andenhances synaptic plasticity.
(05:09):
This may counteract thesluggish neural activity often
seen in afib-related cognitivedecline or other forms of
cognitive decline, or actuallyother causes of cognitive
decline.
Next, coffee containschlorogenic acids, caffeic acid,
quinic acid, ferulic acid,along with flavonoids and
(05:30):
trigonoline, the latter mostbeing a methylated form of
niacin that has been shown toraise NAD plus levels in
preclinical models.
All of these compounds canassist in reducing oxidative
stress by neutralizing freeradicals in one way or another.
Oxidative stress is a keycontributor to vascular damage
and cognitive decline in AFibpatients.
(05:52):
By supporting faster processingspeeds and better visuomotor
coordination, coffee might helpmaintain cognitive reserve, that
is, the brain's ability tocompensate for age-related
changes.
Now, while observational studieslike this one we talked about
can't establish causation, theirfindings align with controlled
(06:12):
trials highlighting coffee'scognitive benefits.
For instance, a meta-analysispublished in Clinical Nutrition
in 2017 found that regularcoffee consumption was
associated with a 26% reducedrisk of developing Alzheimer's
disease.
Another study in Frontiers inNeuroscience suggested coffee's
role in modulating gut-brainsignaling, potentially
(06:35):
influencing neuroinflammation.
For AFib patients, thesefindings are particularly
significant because theyhighlight a potential lifestyle
intervention that doesn'texacerbate arrhythmia symptoms
in most individuals individuals,as I mentioned at the beginning
(06:56):
of this episode.
The 2023 ACC AHA guidelinesstate that caffeine does not
increase the risk of arrhythmiaepisodes in AFib patients unless
they are highly sensitive to it.
While promising and exciting,the SWISS study has its
limitations.
It was observational in nature.
It cannot confirm that coffeecauses cognitive benefits, only
that there's an association.
It was self-reported dataCoffee intake was self-reported
(07:19):
which introduces what's calledrecall bias.
Also, there was a lack ofstandardization the type, size
and strength of coffee weren'tcontrolled for which could
affect the outcomes here.
And then there was the studypopulation itself, which was
predominantly white and European, which does limit
generalizability.
If you're consideringincorporating more coffee into
(07:42):
your routine, here's what tokeep in mind.
Well, dosage matters, obviously.
The cognitive benefits proposedin this study were most
pronounced in people drinkingfive cups daily.
However, individual tolerancevaries and exceeding this may
lead to side effects likeanxiety, heart palpitations or
insomnia.
Choose quality.
(08:02):
Black coffee offers thebenefits without added sugars or
fats found in flavored lattes,for instance.
Monitor your response.
Afib patients, specifically,should be mindful of how
caffeine affects their symptoms.
Start with smaller amounts andgradually increase if tolerated
and, of course, if desired.
(08:22):
Lastly, pair with otherstrategies that include exercise
, diet and sleep.
This one goes without saying.
Please don't use this as anexcuse to slam caffeine in the
form of energy drinks orover-consume caffeine.
We are talking about coffeehere.
In closing, coffee may holdmore power than just perking you
up in the morning.
It could serve as a key playerin maintaining cognitive health,
(08:45):
even for individuals withatrial fibrillation.
The SWIS study adds to agrowing body of research
suggesting that coffee'sbioactive compounds can reduce
inflammation, protect neuronsand enhance cognitive
performance.
Thank you for tuning in totoday's episode of Daily Value.
If you found this episodeenlightening, please share it
(09:06):
with someone who might benefit.
Don't forget to subscribe, asthese episodes come out every
Monday, wednesday and Friday.
Until next time, stay curiousand stay healthy.
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