Can caffeine repair heart cells?

If you are a coffee lover then here's some good news.

A new research claims that drinking as much as four cups of coffee can help repair heart muscles.

Caffeine is believed to lower the risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke, and researchers believe caffeine may be equipped with properties to protect healthy blood vessels and repair the heart after a heart attack. This is done by encouraging the movement of a protein called p27 into the cells.

The research conducted by Heinrich-Heine-University and the IUF-Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine in Dusseldorf, Germany, believe caffeine could particularly benefit elderly people as their hearts are naturally weaker and more prone to damage.

Study author Professor Judith Haendeler said: "Our results indicate a new mode of action for caffeine, one that promotes protection and repair of heart muscle.

"These results should lead to better strategies for protecting heart muscle from damage, including consideration of coffee consumption or caffeine as an additional dietary factor in the elderly population."

"With respect to ageing and thus to the elderly population, our data demonstrate that the mitochondrial capacity of the old heart is improved by caffeine to that of the adult heart."

Professor Haendeler added: 'Coffee consumption or caffeine per se could be considered as an additional protective dietary factor for the elderly population. Analyses provided evidence that habitual intake of caffeinated beverages reduces the risk of heart disease mortality among elderly."

Besides improving the health of heart cells, the other health benefits of caffeine include helping people avoid weight gain by speeding up metabolism.