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Coffee—the word may bring to mind store shelves full of brightly colored bags of beans, or maybe a reminder that your day is about to begin as the coffee starts brewing into the pot.
Whatever the word “coffee” brings to mind, there is no doubt that it’s a pretty famous beverage that is an important part of many people’s lives.
But if you have heart disease or are at risk for heart disease, you may be wondering if coffee is still safe to drink.
In this article, we’ll discuss whether coffee is bad for the heart or not, as well as some other important factors to consider if you’re a heart patient.
Quick disclaimer—although I am a registered dietitian nutritionist, your reading of this or any articles on this website does not constitute medical nutrition therapy advice nor create a practitioner-client relationship. The information I provide here on this website is for educational and informational purposes only. Please see my full disclaimer for more information.
Background on the Concerns
You’ve probably seen or heard conflicting media responses on the topic of drinking coffee and how it affects the heart. To be fair, some of these callouts are worth mentioning.
Stimulant Effects
It is true that regular coffee contains caffeine, which is a stimulant. Caffeine’s stimulant effects can include making you feel more energetic, improving your concentration, and increasing your alertness.
In some people, caffeine may raise heart rate, increase heart palpitations, or bring on feelings of anxiety. It can also affect sleep quality, depending upon how much caffeine is consumed and how close to bedtime it is consumed.
If you’ve noticed some of these more negative effects when drinking coffee, you may want to take a look at how much coffee you’re drinking and how close to bedtime you’re drinking it.
If you feel that you’re not drinking that much coffee or that you notice issues no matter when you drink coffee, it would be wise to discuss these concerns with your healthcare provider to determine whether or not coffee is right for you.
Medication Interactions
Another frequently mentioned concern with drinking coffee is the potential for interaction with some medications. Coffee may affect the way some blood pressure, blood thinner, and diuretic medications work.
It’s always a good practice to double check your medication package’s instructions and look for any interactions with coffee or caffeine. And don’t forget to check with your healthcare provider if you notice any warning about caffeine on the package.
Diuretic Effects
You may have noticed the potential to use the restroom more frequently when you drink coffee. Why? Because caffeine can increase urination.
In some cases, drinking too many caffeine-containing beverages can even increase the risk of dehydration.
As a takeaway, try to be mindful about how much coffee you’re drinking each day to help you stay hydrated. A few small cups (not large mugs) can often be an okay amount. But double check with your healthcare provider to be sure.
Potential Benefits for the Heart
Although there are potential concerns with coffee drinking when it comes to your heart, there are also health benefits associated with the beverage.
Vitamins and Minerals
Surprisingly, coffee contains several vitamins and minerals, such as B vitamins, potassium, and magnesium. Your heart benefits when your body has optimal levels of these nutrients.
Coffee may not be the best source of them, but every little bit counts.
Phytochemicals
While “phytochemical” is a large and technical word, the main takeaway from this term is that coffee contains compounds that can help the cells in your body defend themselves against common stressors. This action may be similar to that of the compounds in fruits and vegetables.
So as can be seen, coffee does have some “perks” for heart health.
How to Drink Coffee in a Heart-Healthy Way
If you feel comfortable drinking coffee after having discussed the question with your healthcare provider, then you may want to try some of the suggestions below.
Choose Filtered
My first recommendation is to choose filtered coffee most of the time. Filtered coffee contains far less in the way of diterpenes, which are compounds that are associated with raising cholesterol.
Methods where you can use a paper filter include pour over and drip coffee.
But what about French press, espresso, and other unique methods of brewing, such as Turkish coffee?
You may want to save these methods for special occasions, since the coffee they produce contains a far larger amount of diterpenes.
If you do choose to enjoy these methods of coffee making, consider sticking to one cup or mug to keep things balanced.
Watch What You Add
It’s no secret that there are many options for coffee sweeteners, creamers, and other add-ins on the market today. With all of these possibilities, what do you choose?
If you want to avoid these options altogether, then you could drink your coffee black. But if you prefer something in your coffee, consider opting for add-ins lower in fat and sugar.
Fat
When it comes to fat, consider choosing dairy or non-dairy alternatives that are lower in saturated fat to help manage your cholesterol levels.
Full fat dairy (like half and half) and tropical oil-based creamers tend to be higher in saturated fat. If you like a lot of creamer in your coffee, the fat can add up quickly.
Although these types of products can still be enjoyed, keeping them to the serving size on the packaging (or as close to it as possible) can help manage the saturated fat you’ll be getting in your coffee.
Take a look at how much product you’re adding now, and see if you can gradually start to cut back till you’re close to the serving size. You could also add a little milk in to round things out a bit.
Sugar
Moving on to sugar, you may have noticed that many coffee creamers and syrups contain a fair amount of added sugar.
Portion size in this case is also important—if you really love sweetened creamers or syrups, try to measure out the serving size and see how that works.
You could also round out your coffee cup with more unsweetened, low-fat dairy or non-dairy milks.
If you enjoy adding sugar to coffee, you may want to consider using lower-sugar alternatives, such as stevia, monk fruit, and others. Another option could be artificial sweeteners.
But as always, check with your healthcare provider to be sure these are right for you.
Be Mindful of How Much Coffee You Drink
Although it may go without saying, it may be worth saying—portion size, for anything we eat and drink, is important.
If you’re drinking drip or pour over types of coffee, then a few 6- to 8-oz cups per day may be okay.
But if your favorite way to enjoy coffee is a latte or shot of espresso, aim for only one, and be mindful of the add-ins you’re choosing.
Coffee Alternatives
If you’ve come this far in reading but don’t really want to go with regular coffee, then what are some other enjoyable beverage options to try?
Consider Decaf
One option, especially if you enjoy the flavor of coffee, is decaf coffee. Although not absolutely caffeine free, it contains only a very small amount of caffeine, which you may feel is a better choice for you. Many coffee brands make delicious decaf options.
Try Tea
The world of tea is quite large, with so many options!
Keep in mind that black tea, green tea, white tea, and some other teas may contain caffeine, although the amount is usually less than that of coffee.
Herbal teas are usually free of caffeine, and they can be soothing beverages.
A word of advice—do check with your healthcare providers about tea, as some teas may contain ingredients that could interact with heart-related medications.
Explore Lemon Water
Although lemon water may not seem as exciting as coffee, some people find it to be an enjoyable beverage to drink. If you’re interested, you may want to give it a try.
Conclusion
To wrap things up, coffee is a popular beverage that isn’t necessarily bad for the heart; in fact, it may provide benefit to some people with heart disease.
However, there are some issues to consider when drinking coffee, especially if you’re on certain medications or feel negative effects from caffeine’s stimulation.
A thorough discussion with your healthcare provider can help you decide what will fit best in a heart-healthy nutrition plan. As always, aim for balance in your beverage (and food) choices to support your heart.
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Sources
- American Heart Association Editorial Staff. Caffeine and Heart Disease. American Heart Association website. Updated September 12, 2023. Accessed April 15, 2025. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/caffeine-and-heart-disease.
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Coffee. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health website. Updated July 2020. Accessed April 15, 2025. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/coffee/.
- Belayneh A, Molla F. The effect of coffee on pharmacokinetic properties of drugs: a review. BioMed Research International. 2020;1-11. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/7909703. Accessed April 15, 2025.
- Cleveland Clinic. This Should Perk You Up: The Surprising Health Benefits of Coffee. Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials website. Published February 2, 2023. Updated February 24, 2025. Accessed April 15, 2025. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/the-health-benefits-of-coffee/.
- Kolb H, Kempf K, Martin S. Health effects of coffee: mechanism unraveled? Nutrients. 2020;12(6):1842. doi: 10.3390/nu12061842 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7353358/)
- Harvard Health Publishing: Harvard Medical School. What’s The Healthiest Way to Brew Coffee? Harvard Health Publishing website. Published July 1, 2020. Accessed April 15, 2025. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/whats-the-healthiest-way-to-brew-coffee.
Updated April 15, 2025
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