Does the Timing of Coffee Consumption Impact Mortality? Insights from a New Study
Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide, and past research has linked its consumption to various health benefits, including a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and overall mortality. However, while many studies have explored the impact of coffee quantity and type (caffeinated vs. decaffeinated), fewer have examined whether the timing of coffee consumption plays a role in health outcomes.
This study [1] aimed to determine whether when people drink their coffee—morning vs. throughout the day—affects their risk of cardiovascular death.
How was the study set up?
The research analyzed data from 40,725 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2018.
The study identified two distinct patterns of coffee drinking:
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Morning Type (36% of participants): Coffee consumption primarily in the morning (4 AM – 11:59 AM).
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All-Day Type (14% of participants): Coffee consumed throughout the day, from morning through evening.
Participants were followed for a median of 9.8 years, during which 4,295 deaths were recorded. The researchers adjusted for multiple confounders, including coffee type, sleep duration, smoking, and diet quality, and many other factors to isolate the effect of coffee timing on mortality, relative to people who don’t consume coffee.
Cardiovascular Mortality: Results
One of the most striking findings was that morning coffee consumption was linked to a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, whereas all-day coffee consumption did not show the same benefit.
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Morning coffee drinkers were associated with 31% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality (depending on analysis) compared to non-coffee drinkers.
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All-day coffee drinkers were not associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality.
The findings suggest that drinking coffee earlier in the day may be more beneficial for heart health than drinking it throughout the day. One possible explanation is that late-day caffeine consumption can disrupt circadian rhythms, and impact sleep quality, which could offset some of coffee’s health benefits. Also, keep in mind that while the researchers controlled for many potential variables that could explain the results (confounders), these data are still an association and could be due to some other reason uncontrolled by the researchers.
Is More Coffee Better?
The relationship between coffee intake and mortality depended on when it was consumed.
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Among morning coffee drinkers, greater coffee consumption was significantly associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality. Those who drank 2–3 cups per day had the greatest benefit.
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Among all-day coffee drinkers, higher coffee intake did not significantly lower mortality risk - tracking with the overall lack of an association.
These findings suggest that more coffee is beneficial, but primarily when consumed in the morning.
Takeaways
Timing matters: Drinking coffee in the morning is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular mortality, while all-day coffee consumption does not provide the same benefits. Higher coffee intake is only beneficial when consumed earlier in the day.
