A barista prepares a Filipino signature roast coffee bean called Mount Matutum. A study has found that morning coffee drinkers have a lower risk of heart disease. Victor Besa / The National
A barista prepares a Filipino signature roast coffee bean called Mount Matutum. A study has found that morning coffee drinkers have a lower risk of heart disease. Victor Besa / The National
A barista prepares a Filipino signature roast coffee bean called Mount Matutum. A study has found that morning coffee drinkers have a lower risk of heart disease. Victor Besa / The National
A barista prepares a Filipino signature roast coffee bean called Mount Matutum. A study has found that morning coffee drinkers have a lower risk of heart disease. Victor Besa / The National

Why the time you drink your coffee is key to protecting your heart


Gillian Duncan
  • English
  • Arabic

People who drink coffee in the morning have a lower risk of dying from heart disease than those who drink it throughout the day, or not at all, a new study has found.

Those who enjoyed a morning shot of caffeine were almost a fifth less likely to die from any cause and almost a third less likely to die of cardiovascular disease compared to people who did not drink coffee at all, said researchers in the US.

However, those who drank coffee all day did not experience the same reduction in risk – suggesting the timing may be key. And it may be related to sleep.

The study, which was published in the European Heart Journal, did not explain why morning coffee drinkers were less likely to die from heart disease, but researchers think they may know why.

“A possible explanation is that consuming coffee in the afternoon or evening may disrupt circadian rhythms and levels of hormones such as melatonin. This, in turn, leads to changes in cardiovascular risk factors such as inflammation and blood pressure,” said Dr Lu Qi, professor at the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane University, New Orleans, who led the research.

In an accompanying editorial, professor Thomas Lüscher from Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals in London, said there is a marked increase in the body’s sympathetic nervous system, which stimulates the body’s fight or flight response, upon waking. But it fades over time, reaching its lowest level during sleep. So it is possible that coffee drinking in the afternoon or evening disrupts the body’s circadian rhythm, which regulates when we wake and go to sleep.

A barista prepares a cup of coffee. A study led by Dr Lu Qi shows morning coffee lowers heart disease risk, unlike all-day drinking. Silvia Razgova/The National
A barista prepares a cup of coffee. A study led by Dr Lu Qi shows morning coffee lowers heart disease risk, unlike all-day drinking. Silvia Razgova/The National

“Indeed, many all-day drinkers suffer from sleep disturbances. In this context, it is of interest that coffee seems to suppress melatonin, an important sleep-inducing mediator in the brain,” Prof Lüscher wrote. “Overall, we must accept the now substantial evidence that coffee drinking, particularly in the morning hours, is likely to be healthy. Thus, drink your coffee, but do so in the morning.”

Coffee is known to reduce the risk of some chronic diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, so the researchers were keen to find out whether the time of day when you drink coffee had any impact on heart health.

They examined the health records of 40,725 adults taking part in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999 and 2018, who were asked when they drank coffee, how much and when. The record included a subgroup of 1,463 people who were asked to complete a detailed food and drink diary for a full week, information which researchers used to link with records of deaths and cause of death over a period of nine to 10 years.

More than a third, or 36 per cent were mostly morning coffee drinkers, meaning they primarily drank coffee before midday. Another 16 per cent drank coffee throughout the day, in the morning, afternoon and evening, and 48 per cent did not drink coffee at all.

They found that compared with people who did not drink coffee, morning coffee drinkers were 16 per cent less likely to die of any cause and 31 per cent less likely to die of cardiovascular disease. But there was no reduction in risk for all-day coffee drinkers compared to non-coffee drinkers.

Morning coffee drinkers benefitted from the lower risks whether they were moderate drinkers, consuming two to three cups, or heavy drinkers, who drank more than three cups. People who drank one cup benefitted from a smaller decrease in risk.

“This is the first study testing coffee drinking timing patterns and health outcomes,” said Dr Qi. “Our findings indicate that it’s not just whether you drink coffee or how much you drink, but the time of day when you drink coffee that’s important. We don’t typically give advice about timing in our dietary guidance, but perhaps we should be thinking about this in the future.”

Further studies are now needed to validate our findings in other populations, he said, trials should test the potential impact of changing the time of day when people drink coffee.

A study released late last year found that drinking tea and coffee may also have a “protective effect” against certain types of cancer.

In the study, patients who drank more than four cups of coffee a day were 17 per cent less likely to be affected by a group of “head and neck” cancers, including mouth and throat cancer. One cup of tea a day improved their odds by nine per cent.

Scientists said more work was needed to understand the link, but suggested that “bioactive compounds” found in coffee and tea could slow the spread of disease.

Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier

Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman

The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August

 

Group A

Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar

 

Group B

UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia

'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'

Director:Michael Lehmann

Stars:Kristen Bell

Rating: 1/5

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 

Company name: Play:Date

Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day

Founder: Shamim Kassibawi

Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US

Sector: Tech 

Size: 20 employees

Stage of funding: Seed

Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund

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Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

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Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

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United States

2.

China

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UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

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Singapore

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Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

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Our legal advisor

Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.

Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation. 

Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES

SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities

Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

BULKWHIZ PROFILE

Date started: February 2017

Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: E-commerce 

Size: 50 employees

Funding: approximately $6m

Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait

hall of shame

SUNDERLAND 2002-03

No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.

SUNDERLAND 2005-06

Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.

HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19

Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.

ASTON VILLA 2015-16

Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.

FULHAM 2018-19

Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.

LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.

BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66

UAE - India ties

The UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner after the US and China

Annual bilateral trade between India and the UAE has crossed US$ 60 billion

The UAE is the fourth-largest exporter of crude oil for India

Indians comprise the largest community with 3.3 million residents in the UAE

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi first visited the UAE in August 2015

His visit on August 23-24 will be the third in four years

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, visited India in February 2016

Sheikh Mohamed was the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations in January 2017

Modi will visit Bahrain on August 24-25

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The biog:

Languages: Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, basic Russian 

Favourite food: Pizza 

Best food on the road: rice

Favourite colour: silver 

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Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
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The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

The team

Videographer: Jear Velasquez 

Photography: Romeo Perez 

Fashion director: Sarah Maisey 

Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory 

Models: Meti and Clinton at MMG 

Video assistant: Zanong Maget 

Social media: Fatima Al Mahmoud  

Updated: January 29, 2025, 6:03 AM`