How much coffee is too much? New research finally has an answer

As I write this, there is a mug of black coffee within arm's reach. There almost always is. If I am at a desk, a table, or in the studio, odds are good I have a cup going, and I stopped counting my daily total a long time ago because I already know I would not love the number.

So this week's coffee news landed close to home on two fronts, one good, one worth double-checking your fridge over.

The good news first

The American Heart Association released a new scientific statement this week, and for once, it is genuinely good news for people like me. Up to 5 cups of caffeinated coffee a day, roughly 400 milligrams of caffeine, is safe for most healthy adults and may actually come with real cardiovascular benefits, according to the statement, published in the AHA's journal Circulation. Dr. Gregory Marcus of UC San Francisco, who chaired the group behind it, put it plainly: that amount is safe and does not increase cardiovascular risk.

The sweet spot, based on the evidence reviewed, looks to be somewhere around 2 to 4 cups a day, associated with a lower risk of heart failure, coronary heart disease and stroke in some people. Go past 4 or 5 cups, and the researchers noted the benefit starts to flatten out and heart failure risk may start climbing again. And there is a catch worth knowing: the benefit applies to black coffee without a lot of added sugar, syrup or cream. A caramel macchiato loaded with syrup is a different beverage nutritionally than a plain cup of drip, even if they both start from the same beans.

One more wrinkle. The researchers were clear that this statement is about coffee specifically, not energy drinks, which have far less rigorous research behind them and were deliberately left out of the recommendation.

Now, the recall

If you are a Brooklyn Roasting Company cold brew drinker, this part is for you. The company recalled its Pasteurized Cold Brew Concentrate, sold in New York and New Jersey, after the FDA flagged a possible botulism risk tied to improper ambient storage, which can allow Clostridium botulinum to grow and produce a dangerous toxin. The recalled product was distributed between April 1 and June 20, with best-by dates ranging from June 3 through September 3. No illnesses have been reported. The FDA classified it as a Class II recall, meaning exposure could cause temporary or medically reversible health effects, not necessarily life-threatening ones, but still worth taking seriously. If you have a bag of this cold brew concentrate in your fridge, check the best-by date before your next pour.

SEE ALSO: Sip smart: How to beat rising coffee prices in NJ 

Photo by Nafinia Putra on Unsplash

The stuff we actually argue about

I wrote back in October about beating rising coffee prices by brewing at home, and that math still holds. But prices aside, the real daily debate among Jersey coffee drinkers has nothing to do with cardiology. It is Wawa versus Dunkin' versus Starbucks, and everybody already has their answer before you finish the question. Wawa loyalists will die on that hill. Dunkin' has the whole state running on it, allegedly. Starbucks gets mocked for the price and ordered anyway.

And then there is decaf shaming, a very real phenomenon at every office coffee station and diner counter in New Jersey. Order decaf around the wrong crowd and you will get a look like you just ordered a Bud Light Lime at a biker bar. I do not fully understand why decaf drinkers get treated like they are not real coffee people. A cup is a cup.

So here is the actual question worth arguing about this week: how many cups do you actually drink a day, and are you drinking it black like the AHA wants you to, or dressed up like dessert? Either way, check your fridge for that recalled cold brew before your next pour.