Drinking coffee can prolong life.

It is well known that high blood pressure reduces the elasticity of arteries, leading to arteriosclerosis, heart attacks and strokes. The researchers studied 485 hypertensive patients on the island between the ages of 65 and 100 and found that 56% of the arteries were very healthy, comparable to those of young people. It turns out that they drink 2 cups of Greek espresso every day; another 10% drink more than 3 cups a day, but their arteries are the least elastic.

Dr. Christina, who led the study at the University of Athens, said drinking a moderate amount of coffee every day can help improve aortic dilatation. Greek coffee is brewed in the traditional way, unfiltered, and therefore contains more compounds to prevent heart disease. Caffeine and antioxidants in coffee can significantly improve arterial function, but drinking more is not beneficial. In addition, there is another little-known benefit of drinking coffee, which is socializing. Drinking coffee while chatting with friends in a cafe is of great benefit to mental health.

The study was presented at the conference of the European Society of Cardiology in Stockholm. (compiled by Huang Wei)

The following is an English report: (source: the medguru.com)

Coffee key to long life--study

Contrary to the conventional belief, sipping a cup of hot coffee could work wonders for your heart by regulating heart rhythms, thereby reducing the number of visits to doctor, reveals a new study.

Drinking one to two cups of coffee per day is good for the heart, researchers have found.

In fact, even those with high blood pressure

Can stay healthier by drinking a cup of coffee daily, the study proposed.

Previously it was believed that drinking coffee caused disturbances in heartbeat rate, leading to heart diseases, although some experts still believe that regular coffee drinkers are at a higher risk for heart attacks.

Details of the study:

In a bid to assess the potential benefits and risks associated with coffee intake, researchers at the University of Athens conducted a study on 485elderly people with high blood pressure (BP) orhypertension.

The volunteers, all aged between 65 and 100, were long-term residents of Greek island of & # 39, which is known as the "land of longevity" and a third of residents reach the age of 90 years.

Most of them drank traditional strong Greek coffee in small cups of between 25ml and 50ml each.

Interestingly, people in Ikaria are 20 percent less likely to have cancer, have half the rate of heart disease risk, and virtually no dementia as compared with the people from Western countries.

Study results:

It was found that drinking a cup of coffee everyday improves elasticity of the arteries, which can ward off heart disease, the Daily Mail reported.

"People who reported four or more cups a day had almost an 18% reduction in the risk of being hospitalized for rhythm disturbances," says Arthur Klatsky, a senior cardiology consultant at Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in California.

Fifty six percent of people who drank between one and two cups of coffee a day had best arterial health, with their blood vessels behaving like those found in younger people.

The study also took into account other factors that would influence blood vessel health, including age, gender, physical activity, body weight, and diabetes.

Dr Christina Chrysohoou, who presented the findings at Stockholm, said, "The study revealed that moderate coffee consumption, between one and two cups per day, is associated with higher values of aortic distensibility when compared with other hypertensive elderly individuals taking less coffee."

Greek coffee is traditionally boiled and not filtered so is higher in compounds that prevent heart disease, Dr Chrysohoou averred.

Coffee improves heart health:

The findings also suggested that there might be a link between moderate coffee consumption and reduced risks of heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, and poor kidney function.

It is believed that chemicals in the coffee improve heart health by preventing damage caused by oxygen molecules and blocking harmful nitric oxide. These nutrients include flavonoids, magnesium, potassium, niacin, and vitamin E, which combat the harmful effect of oxygen on cells.

The study findings have been released at & # 39th European Society of Cardiology Congress' in Stockholm.