Previous health guidance on coffee drinking hasn’t always been crystal clear.

But a recent scientific statement from the American Heart Association addresses previous guidelines about caffeine intake and the heart. Recent findings from the AHA say that drinking up to five cups of coffee a day is safe for most adults and may even have some benefits.

ABC57’s Jordan Tolbert talked with Dr. Abigail Battjes, family physician with Saint Joseph Health System, about the new information.

“So we're talking about just plain old good black coffee,” said Battjes.

The AHA says regular coffee consumption may be linked to a lower risk of stroke, diabetes, and heart failure, but how you brew your coffee matters.

The potential health benefits apply only to paper-filtered or instant coffee—while unfiltered options like French press or espresso retain a natural compound called Cafestol. Cafestol can raise bad cholesterol and potentially clog arteries over time.

“So as new evidence comes out, it's always good to see where we're getting the evidence from and how strong it is,” said Battjes. “This new data for the three to five cups of coffee, or 400 milligrams, is actually pretty strong.”

But the report warns that not all caffeine is created equal—distinguishing between regular coffee and highly concentrated synthetic caffeine, seen in products like energy drinks or shots.

Dr. Battjes says high-dose caffeine and energy drinks may cause cardiovascular harm.

“Synthetic caffeine is grown in a lab and definitely has more caffeine than when we ground up our coffee beans compared to that,” said Battjes.

She says limiting synthetic caffeine is important, noting potential side effects like tachycardia, anxiety, and not being able to sleep.

This guidance says up to five cups of coffee is safe for most adults, but Dr. Battjes says everyone reacts differently to caffeine. If you’re not a coffee drinker, five cups may be a lot of coffee right off the bat,

so maybe start with one or two if you’re looking to incorporate it into your day.