Science has been researching and discovering the benefits of drinking coffee in the past few years. Before, there was debate over whether or not coffee was good for your body, but these days the research is proving coffee connoisseurs' claims to be true. In addition, a large study has found some interesting insights into your drinking habits, including that drinking three cups of coffee per day is good for heart health---but only if you drink a certain kind of coffee.

The data from this new study is fascinating and important because it is one of the largest of its kind. Conducted over an entire decade, it included close to half a million participants and gathered some very comprehensive data. For example, the researchers concluded that individuals who regularly drank coffee were 12% less likely to die than those who didn't drink coffee daily. In addition, the risk of developing heart or cardiovascular disease was one-fifth, or 20% less than for those who don't drink coffee at all. Another interesting finding was that the health benefits stemmed from drinking coffee from ground beans instead of instant coffee.

Drinking more than three cups of coffee per day did not increase the health benefits. Still, the researchers noted that in addition to caffeine, coffee has many other minerals and antioxidants that have been linked to other health benefits. Past studies have also shown the similar findings: a reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes, dementia, various types of cancer, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease.

This large, intensive study was conducted by a collaboration of Semmelweis University in Budapest and the Queen Mary University of London. Dr. Stephen Petersen from Queen Mary University showed that moderate coffee drinking might benefit cardiovascular health.

The study included half a million participants: 22% who did not drink coffee, and 58% who drank up to 3 cups of coffee per day. The rest drank a minimum of three cups a day, and sometimes more. The study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, showed that people who drank between 0.5 to three cups of coffee a day had a 12% lower mortality risk at the end of the study than those who didn't drink coffee at all. In addition, the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease was 17% lower than for those who didn't drink coffee, and the coffee drinkers' risk of having a stroke was 21% lower. Those who drank coffee were also less likely to become diabetic. Caffeine is also known as an appetite suppressant, and researchers speculate that it may help prevent obesity.

Another exciting aspect of this study found that a quarter of the study participants who drank instant coffee didn't receive these extra health benefits. So even though instant coffee has more caffeine and more antioxidants, it also has more acrylamide, a substance found in certain foods that might increase the risk of cancer and can damage your nervous system.

Researchers from this study believe that coffee's positive effects on our health can be explained by the changes in the heart structure of regular coffee consumers. After examining MRI scans of the cardiovascular systems of their 30,000 study participants, they found signs that coffee drinkers have healthier hearts. The scans show that participants who drank moderate to high amounts of coffee daily had larger heart chambers, which allowed their hearts to pump more blood.

Now, we're not scientists, but at SunriseCoffeeLA, we're on your side. Whether you're starting your day with your favorite cup of coffee or treating guests with a delicious after-dinner dessert coffee, we have something for everyone and every occasion.