Discover more surprising benefits of a few cups of coffee a day

However, in a new study just published in the American Heart Association's AHA Journal , lead author, Professor - Dr. Jürg H. Beer, University of Zürich (Switzerland), encouraged people with atrial fibrillation to "Enjoy coffee, it may even be good for you," according to the American Heart Association's news site Heart.org.

Co-author Dr. Massimo Barbagallo, resident in the Department of Neuro-Intensive Care at the University Hospital of Zurich, said: “Regular coffee consumption is beneficial for cognitive performance in healthy people. Meanwhile, atrial fibrillation increases the risk of dementia. Therefore, the question is whether coffee can help reduce the risk of cognitive decline in people with atrial fibrillation.”

The study included 2,413 Swiss participants - patients with atrial fibrillation, with an average age of 73 years.

Participants reported their coffee consumption, at levels: Less than 1 cup per day, 1 cup per day, 2–3 cups per day, 4–5 cups per day, and more than 5 cups per day.

They were also assessed for general cognitive function and depression at the start of the study, and were followed for eight years for stroke, mini-stroke, inflammatory markers in the blood, blood clots, brain scans, and multiple cognitive tests.

The authors analyzed cognitive assessments and looked at whether drinking coffee could help prevent cognitive decline, which is common in patients with atrial fibrillation. Since both Alzheimer's disease and atrial fibrillation lead to systemic inflammation, the researchers also analyzed markers of inflammation.

People with atrial fibrillation who drink more coffee may improve cognitive performance

Results found that people with atrial fibrillation who drank more coffee had improved cognitive performance compared to those who drank less than 1 cup or no coffee, according to Heart.org.

In general, drinking more coffee increases cognitive test scores.

Specifically, drinking coffee increases processing speed, visual-motor coordination and attention by 11%.

Notably, calculations showed that people who drank more coffee had a cognitive age 6.7 years younger than those who drank little or no coffee.

Consuming more coffee also reduced inflammatory markers by up to 20%, compared with drinking less than 1 cup per day.

Researchers note that coffee's ability to do this may be due to caffeine and other active ingredients including magnesium and vitamin B3, or it may be due to coffee's role in reducing inflammatory chemicals.

Many studies and medical experts recommend that to maximize all benefits, it is best to drink 2-3 cups of black coffee, no sugar or very little sugar, every day.