A cup of coffee, black tea or cocoa a day may improve blood vessel health, study suggests

A new investigation into the effects of caffeine on the cardiovascular system of immunocompromised patients reveals that regular consumption may have a positive effect. In particular, vascular health — that concerning the functioning of blood vessels — may be boosted by drinking coffee, black tea or cocoa, it says.

The researchers from the Sapienza University of Rome, in Italy, looked into the vascular well-being of patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

“The present study is an attempt to provide patients with information on the possible role of diet in controlling the disease,” says the paper’s lead author, Fulvia Ceccarelli.

“It will be necessary to confirm the results through a longitudinal study aimed at assessing the real impact of coffee consumption on the disease course,” she adds. 

The study published in the Rheumatology journal by the Oxford University Press shows that caffeine actively helps the endothelial progenitor cells, which play a role in regenerating the lining of blood vessels and are involved in vascular growth.

Rheumatic disease and vascular health

The researchers considered the healthfulness of 31 lupus patients with no traditional cardiovascular risk factors using a seven-day food questionnaire.

After a week, they sampled the patients’ blood in order to measure their blood vessels’ health. The patients who consumed caffeine had better vascular health, as measured through endothelial cells.

Damage to the vascular organs can lead to a stroke and other serious cardiovascular events. Patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases are more likely to experience such life-threatening medical emergencies. 

This is due to how these diseases affect the body, but also due to the treatments frequently prescribed for them, such as with the hormone cortisone.

For this reason, doctors recommend patients going through such conditions to reduce inflammation, the use of cortisone medication, as well as not smoking, lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.

These most recent laboratory results suggest that caffeine uptake may also play a positive role in risk reduction, as it actively supports the endothelial progenitor cells. This group of cells helps regenerate the lining of blood vessels and is involved in vascular growth.

Additionally, caffeine may also improve vascular health by reducing inflammation, which it achieves by binding with the receptors expressed on the surface of immune cells. 

Studies have also found a link between coffee consumption and improved gut health, as well as lowered cancer risk.

Globally, people are increasingly curious about the health benefits of coffee, as shown by a recent online search engine analysis.