If you love your morning coffee as much as I do, you will be pleased to hear that your daily java ritual may be perking up the function of your blood vessels. In a study conducted in 27 healthy adults who were not regular coffee drinkers, drinking a single cup of caffeinated coffee increased blood flow in the participant’s’ fingers by 30% relative to drinking a cup of decaffeinated coffee.

The researchers noted that caffeine somehow improved the function of the specialized endothelial cells that line arteries and govern blood flow. Caffeine’s benefits for blood vessel function and blood flow noted in this study may very well explain the link between the lower risk of heart disease, strokes and Alzheimer’s noted in regular coffee drinkers.

(American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2013)

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