In a very large study with over 449,500 participants, researchers found that drinking 2 to 3 cups of coffee a day is linked with a longer lifespan and a lower risk for heart disease.
It did not appear to matter if the people in the study drank ground, instant or decaffeinated coffee. Only in the case of arrhythmias, decaf coffee was not protective, but ground and instant did reduce the risk including those from atrial fibrillation.
Since coffee contains more than 100 biologically active components, it is not surprising that decaf was protective as well as the caffeinated version.
These findings support coffee drinking, in moderate amounts, as a heart healthy behavior.
