Healthy with cup of coffee 'the secret to long life'

Just a cup of coffee a day could keep your arteries healthy, supple and ward off heart disease. Sipping a hot cup of coffee daily could give you more than a healthful lift of energy. The drink helps people live longer by warding off heart disease, a study has revealed.

A study of elderly people aged between 65 and 100 found those who drank moderate amounts of coffee a day had more elastic blood vessels around the heart. People with high blood pressure should be encouraged to drink moderate amounts of coffee, the authors said, based on the results.

Hypertension stiffens arteries and reduces elasticity, increasing the likelihood of heart attacks and strokes, the study said. Study leader Christina Chrysohoou from the University of Athens found that 56 percent of people, who were moderate coffee drinkers, consuming between one and two cups a day, had the best arterial health, with their blood vessels having the elasticity of younger people.

Previously, opinion has been divided over whether coffee is good or bad for the heart. The study took into account other factors that would influence blood vessel health including age, gender, physical activity, body weight and diabetes.

The subjects drank their coffee in cafes with friends in a relaxed atmosphere at the beginning and end of the working day, Dr Chrysohoou said, so the psychological benefits of this may also play a part, she said.

suggested that ingredients such as caffeine and antioxidants may partly improve arterial function by increasing the ability to take up nitric oxide, which is impaired in hypertensive patients.

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