Study finds six or more coffees a day can be bad for your health

While the pros and cons of drinking coffee have been debated for decades, new research from the University of South Australia reveals that drinking six or more coffees a day can be detrimental to your health, increasing your risk of heart disease by up to 22 per cent.

Using UK Biobank data of 347,077 participants aged 37-73 years, the study explored the ability of the caffeine-metabolizing gene (CYP1A2) to better process caffeine, identifying increased risks of cardiovascular disease in line with coffee consumption and genetic variations. Researchers investigating this association confirm that after six cups of coffee the caffeine can cause high blood pressure, a precursor to heart disease. This is the first time an upper limit has been placed on safe coffee consumption and cardiovascular health.

Researchers add that despite carriers of the fast-processing gene variation being four times quicker at metabolising caffeine, the research does not support the belief that these people could safely consume more caffeine, more frequently, without detrimental health effects.

Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of death with one person dying from the disease every 12 minutes, yet one of the most preventable. So, knowing the limits of what’s good for you and what’s not is imperative.