Have researchers come up with a hard cutoff regarding number of cups of coffee per day before it starts getting unhealthy? What about variables such as cream and sugar?
A lot of us can’t even pretend to function in the morning without a coffee in hand.
Whether it’s a latte, cappuccino or a straight short black, that first sip flips the switch from half-asleep to “Okay, I can deal with today.”
But for something so routine, we don’t always think about where the line is between helpful and overboard.
Coffee has been debated for ages, with new headlines every year claiming it’s either a miracle drink or secretly bad for you.
But updated research from the University of South Australia gives a clearer picture, especially for people who drink cup after cup all day.
According to their findings, hitting six coffees a day is where things start to go downhill.
At that point, the risk of heart disease can rise by around 22 percent.
About the Investigation
The UniSA team, Dr. Ang Zhou and Professor Elina Hyppönen, looked at long-term coffee habits and heart health.
They identified the point where caffeine stops being a friendly boost and starts raising blood pressure, which is a known gateway to heart issues.
This study is the first to actually put a number on what counts as a “safe” daily limit.
Coffee is perhaps the world’s favorite stimulant.
But everyone eventually wonders: how much is too much?
And not just in terms of getting caffeine jitters, but for health, particularly of the heart?
The study data says that around six cups is when things tilt into the risky zone.
This is great news for those who find that three or four cups a day do them just fine, but lousy news for those who drink so much coffee a day they’ve lost count but are pretty sure it’s well over six cups.
The researchers used data from nearly 350,000 people in the UK Biobank, ages 37 to 73.
They also looked at a gene called CYP1A2, which controls how fast you break down caffeine.
Some people process it four times faster than others, so theoretically you’d think they could drink more without harm.
But the study didn’t support that idea — fast metabolizers weren’t protected.
Considering that about three billion cups of coffee are poured every day worldwide, knowing the boundary between “fine” and “too much” matters.
This research says that a few coffees a day is generally okay.
But making six or more a daily habit is when your heart may start to protest.
How to Reduce Your Daily Coffee Intake
If this study’s results concern you (many won’t care and will continue enjoying cup after cup on a daily basis without keeping track), then you’ll want to figure out a way to cut back on your beloved coffee without feeling deprived.
You can simply keep track and put the limit at four, and maybe on two assigned days per week, five cups.
Have a replacement beverage ready, but make it one that isn’t bad for the body. Don’t substitue sugary soda. How about having lemon water always on hand?
Another trick is to create a deadline by which you must drink all your day’s coffee.
This will discourage too many cups, since most coffee lovers aren’t going to sit there and try to cram in six or seven cups in two hours.
If it’s the caffeine that perks you up more than the taste of coffee, maybe try a few squares of dark chocolate, which has antioxidant benefits.
The study, which was published in 2019, did not look at the variables of cream, sugar or lifestyle habits of heavy coffee drinkers.
It also seems to contradict a 2025 study on coffee’s protective effect on the heart, even in those who drank coffee heavily.
