Drinking Coffee Is Actually Good For Your Heart, But There’s A Catch

Drinking up to five cups of coffee per day is safe for most adults and potentially comes with certain heart health benefits, the American Heart Association said in a scientific statement released Monday.

The AHA’s latest research suggests that consuming up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day, equivalent to drinking up to 5, 8-ounce cups of caffeinated coffee daily, is generally safe for most adults and is also seemingly connected to a lower risk of several cardiovascular conditions among some individuals, including heart failure, heart disease and stroke. However, the AHA specified that adding sugar, flavors or cream to coffee “likely reduces its potential health benefits.”

The news comes after some countries previously sought to ban coffee, often citing potential health risks or economic impacts.

Though, higher amounts of caffeine, like the amount found in energy drinks such as energy shots, could potentially increase individuals’ risk of high blood pressure, irregular heart rhythm or arrhythmia, according to the AHA’s scientific statement.

The AHA also notes that further research is “needed to better understand caffeine’s impact on the body, how different sources of caffeine impact heart health and how its impact may vary among different people.”

“Caffeine consumed in coffee is a key part of daily life for millions of people, and in our review of the most recent research, for most adults, intake of up to 400 mg of caffeine/day, the equivalent of up to 5 cups of caffeinated coffee per day without added sugars or fillers, is safe and does not increase cardiovascular risk,” Chair of the scientific statement volunteer writing group and a professor of medicine at the University of California Gregory M. Marcus said in a statement. “However, high doses of caffeine, such as those found in energy drinks including energy shots, may have harmful effects on the heart and should be avoided.”

Consuming two to four cups of caffeinated coffee per day was linked to a lower risk of heart disease, heart failure and stroke, according to the scientific statement. Though, drinking over four cups of caffeinated coffee a day may increase individuals’ risk of heart failure, per the AHA.

Some recent experimental studies “suggest that the bioactive compounds in coffee may have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which may help explain some health benefits,” the scientific statement says. “It’s also difficult to separate the effects of caffeine from other ingredients usually added to coffee, such as milk, cream, flavored syrups and/or sugar.”

“Not only is the lay public confused about this topic, but many clinicians out there don’t know how to guide their patients,” Dr. Eugenia Gianos, a cardiologist at Northwell Health in New York and chair of the American College of Cardiology’s Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease Council, told The Wall Street Journal on Monday. “We could even be recommending soon that people have coffee.”

A National Coffee Association (NCA) survey published in April 2025 found that an estimated 66% of American adults consume coffee daily, marking an increase of almost 7% from 2020. Every coffee drinker across the U.S. consumes three cups each day on average, according to the NCA’s survey.

Additionally, recent research suggests that drinking one to three cups of black caffeinated coffee per day can potentially lower individuals’ risk of death and cardiovascular disease, Verywell Health reported in May.

While many people have claimed that children should not drink caffeinated beverages such as coffee because it could stunt their growth, there is currently no scientific evidence supporting this claim, according to Popular Science.