Research: 5 Cups of Coffee Is Often Okay (Black coffee)

 I love my Dunkin' hot black coffee and I'm always looking for studies about consuming it, and its effects. From my own experience I know that drinking black coffee after a meal helps my digestion, as the acids in the coffee seem to help break down the food. That's my experience. Today's blog is about research that says 5 cups of coffee daily is okay (for people who don't have health issues). 

(Tyler used to say "Where's my coffee?" - Photo from 2019)) 

The Heart Association Says You Can Drink Up to 5 Cups of Coffee to Reduce Your Risk Of Heart Disease And Stroke

Jillian Wilson, Jul 20, 2026, Huff Post

Go ahead and pour yourself that extra cup of coffee, but hold the cream and sugar.

According to a new statement published in Circulation, the American Heart Association’s medical journal, your coffee habit may actually be good for your cardiovascular health.

Volunteers for the American Heart Association looked at research from recent decades and found that having up to 400 milligrams of caffeine each day, or up to roughly five 8-ounce cups of coffee, is safe for most adults and may offer heart health benefits.

Consuming up to 400 milligrams of black coffee each day is considered safe, according to researchers, and is tied to lower rates of heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and irregular heartbeat, and a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes.

While this research shows that drinking black coffee may offer cardiovascular benefits for many adults, more research is needed to see how different forms of caffeine (such as tea) impact heart health, according to study authors.

One caveat? This is true for black coffee only — not for sugar-sweetened lattes and coffee mixed with half-and-half.

As a rule, the American Heart Association recommends that adults limit their whole milk consumption, which is high in saturated fat.

DOESN'T APPLY TO FRENCH PRESS, ESPRESSO, TURKISH COFFEE, OR ENERGY DRINKS

Cafestol, which is found in French press coffee, Turkish coffee, espresso and boiled coffee, is linked to higher levels of LDL cholesterol, or the “bad type” of cholesterol, which is known to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

This is not a concern with instant coffee and coffee brewed with paper filters, as they do not contain cafestol.

Caffeine intake in energy drinks does not have health benefits and may instead be harmful. Energy drinks (and energy shots) generally contain higher amounts of caffeine than a cup of coffee or a shot of espresso. This “may increase the risk of high blood pressure and/or irregular heart rhythm or arrhythmia,” the American Heart Association said in its press release.