All the protracted arguments on the effectsof coffee on healthcould finally be laid to rest following the findings from a study showing that up to25 cups of coffee a day is still safe for your health.

This study, which was reported on CNN, does not mean coffee is absolutely safe as insinuated by some quarters. The study just alluded to the fact that a daily intake of 25 cups of coffee might be safe. How about daily intake exceeding 25 cups?

This study which was led by Professor Steffen Petersen from Queen Mary’s William Harvey Research Institute and partly funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) was presented on the 3rd June, this year at the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) Conference in Manchester.

The study which excluded individuals who routinely took more than 25 cups of coffee per day linked coffee consumption to arterial stiffness. The study had 8,412 participants recruited who subsequently underwent MRI heart scans and infrared pulse wave tests.

Dr. Kenneth Fung, who led the data analysis for the research said: “Despite the huge popularity of coffee worldwide, different reports could put people off from enjoying it. Whilst we can’t prove a causal link in this study, our research indicates coffee isn’t as bad for the arteries as previous studies would suggest.

“Although our study included individuals who drink up to 25 cups a day, the average intake amongst the highest coffee consumption group was 5 cups a day. We would like to study these people more closely in our future work so that we can help to advise safe limits.”

Factors that can influence arterial stiffness like age, gender, ethnicity, smoking status, height, weight, level of alcohol consumption, dietary consumption and hypertension were accounted for in the correlation with the outcome measure. The analysis made showed a correlation between coffee intake, smoking, and frequent alcohol consumption.

The known health benefit which also in-part popularized coffee consumption includes; its potential to make one appear smarter, the nutrient it contains, its ability to induce weight loss, potential to lower risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, protection from Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia and Parkinson’s disease, lowers risk of stroke and certain cancers etc.

However, some quarters including the media have expressed fears on the impact of coffee intake on one’s health with some quarters drawing comparisons with smoking and alcohol consumption and some stating that caffeine is like a drug which could be abused and has potential for causing consumers to easily get addicted and become faced with the health risks of its over-consumption. These necessitated a study such as oneand many similar on-going studies.

This present study showed that there was no increased stiffening of arteries found in those who drank up to the daily limit of 25 cups when compared with those who drank less than one cup a day. Meaning at the daily intake of this amount of coffee could be daily. This finding has been well-received by many coffee lovers.