This Is The Best Time of Day To Drink Coffee for Maximum Health Benefits

Drinking coffee in the morning, rather than throughout the day, is strongly associated with a lower risk of death, according to a new study published in the European Heart Journal. The benefit was even more significant for morning coffee drinkers who had at least two cups daily.

The large observational study included data from over 40,000 U.S. adults. Researchers accounted for factors that could influence the results, such as sleep duration, physical activity levels, smoking status, and diet quality.

People who drank more than one to two cups of coffee in the morning had a 16% lower risk of death from any cause and a 31% lower risk of death from heart disease compared to non-coffee drinkers.

“Coffee gets a bad reputation, undeservingly, and there is more data to show that it is very much part of a healthy dietary pattern,” said Bethany Doerfler, MS, RDN, a senior clinical research dietitian at the Digestive Health Insitute at Northwestern Medicine who was not involved with the study.

Previous studies have linked coffee to many health benefits: reduced risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and depression. However, this study was one of the first to examine coffee drinking time and its health benefits.

Caffeine Content Does Not Fully Explain Study’s Findings

Millions of Americans drink coffee daily, often for an energy boost, but consuming caffeine too late in the day might make it harder to fall asleep at night. Some research suggests cutting out caffeinated beverages at least eight hours before bedtime.

Drinking coffee later in the day can affect sleep duration and quality. “Inadequate sleep is a risk factor for conditions like obesity and metabolic syndrome,” Gabrielle Judd, MS, RD, LDN, a clinical dietitian specialist at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, told Verywell in an email.

It takes about three to four hours for half the amount of caffeine to break down in your body, though this varies based on someone’s metabolism and additives like full-fat creamers, Judd added.

The new study highlights that drinking coffee in the afternoon can disrupt circadian rhythms, which reduces melatonin production. Research suggests that low levels of melatonin and disrupted sleep may increase heart disease risk.

However, since the study included decaffeinated coffee, caffeine content alone does not fully explain the findings.

“[O]ther components of coffee such as polyphenols may also contribute to the health benefits of coffee,” Frank Hu, MD, PhD, MPH, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and co-author of the study, told Verywell in an email.

Coffee’s anti-inflammatory properties may have a stronger effect when consumed in the morning.

“Most likely, the observed health benefits of morning coffee drinking is likely due to combined effects of caffeine, polyphenols, and less disruption of the body’s natural circadian rhythms,” Hu said.

Should You Only Drink Coffee in the Morning?

If you’re not a coffee drinker, you don’t have to start drinking coffee because of this study.

“Cause and effect has not been established. This is particularly important if someone does not like the taste of coffee so to increase intake they choose types high in added sugar and cream,” said Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, a senior scientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.

Loading up your coffee with cream or sweeteners means more calories, added sugar, and saturated fats in your beverage, which can negate the health benefits touted in the study.

“Evening” or “all-day” coffee drinkers may gain more benefits by switching to a “morning-only” habit, Judd said.

“I would say this study could be helpful to assuage concerns of those who wanted to drink coffee but were fearful of it having a negative impact on their health,” Judd added.