Study reveals too much coffee consumption can be detrimental for your heart health

Too much coffee could be detrimental for your heart health and could cause heart-related issues, suggest the findings of a new study.

In a world-first genetic study, researchers from the Australian Centre for Precision Health at the University of South Australia found that that long-term, heavy coffee consumption - six or more cups a day - can increase the number of lipids (fats) in your blood to significantly heighten your risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).Importantly, this correlation is both positive and dose-dependent, meaning that the more coffee you drink, the greater the risk of CVD.

It's a bitter pill, especially for lovers of coffee, but according to UniSA researcher, Professor Elina Hypponen, it's one we must swallow if we want keep our hearts healthy.

Cafestol is mainly present in unfiltered brews, such as French press, Turkish and Greek coffees, but it's also in espressos, which is the base for most barista-made coffees, including lattes and cappuccinos.

There is no or very little cafestol in filtered and instant coffee, so with respect to effects on lipids, those are good coffee choices.

Globally, an estimated 3 billion cups of coffee are consumed every day.

Cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of death globally, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year.