People who experience irregular heartbeats are usually advised to avoid caffeine. However, a new study suggests that it isn't bad for the heart after all.
The study found that regular consumption of coffee does not cause extra heartbeats, The Telegraph reported. Contrary to previous research which warned that caffeine can cause an interruption to normal cardiac rhythms.
Dr. Gregory Marcus, the research lead, said that recommendations advising against consuming caffeinated products should be reconsidered as they might be unnecessarily discouraging people to consume food items which actually provide cardiovascular benefits. These food items include coffee, tea and chocolate.
The researchers at University of California San Francisco asked 1,388 people to participate, whose age average is 72. They were asked to record their coffee, chocolate and tea intake for a year and used Holter monitors to get 24-hour electrocardiograms, as mentioned in The New York Times.
About 60 percent of the participants reported drinking or eating a caffeinated product every day, but no changes in the premature beats or difference in the heart rate were revealed by the electrocardiograms between caffeine users and abstainers. The research can be found in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Dr. Marcus, who is also an associate professor of medicine, stated that there has yet to be any evidence which proves consuming more caffeine, translates to an increased risk for early beats. "I tell patients that it is very likely that for some people, caffeine is an important trigger," Dr. Marcus said. Though he advised people to experiment and see how caffeine affects them personally, he assured that "the majority of arrhythmias are not life-threatening."
According to the research, coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the U.S. and is the main source of caffeine among adults. Regular consumption has been associated with a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, depression and obesity.
In addition, other studies have found that regular drinkers of coffee have a lower risk of coronary artery disease, as well as a lower rate of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.
