A coffee a day might be enough to keep the doctor away.

For US researchers have found coffee lovers tend to have healthier hearts, putting them at lower risk of cardiac death. 

And the benefits can be achieved by drinking just one cup a day, they claimed—but only if they drink it black. 

Those who drank between two to three cups, however, saw the most benefits, slashing their risk by almost a fifth.  

The findings, from the study of more than 46,000 people, add to the growing body of evidence highlighting the drink’s health benefits.

Professor Fang Fang Zhang, a nutrition expert at Tufts University in Boston, said: ‘Coffee is among the most-consumed beverages in the world, and with nearly half of American adults reporting drinking at least one cup per day, it’s important for us to know what it might mean for health.’ 

Some research has already linked coffee to reducing the risk of heart disease, heart failure and strokes, while other studies report it prolongs life.

But medics remain divided, warning that excessive amounts of coffee—packed full of caffeine—can actually damage the heart.

Researchers found that drinking one to three cups of coffee a day could help you live for longer, protecting you against potentially fatal heart disease

While some warning signs are easy to spot — such as severe chest pain — others are more vague and hard to pinpoint

The new study, in The Journal of Nutrition, tracked the daily coffee consumption of 46,332 people over the age of 20.

Over a follow up of 11 years, they found black coffee and coffee with low levels of added sugar and saturated fat—like milk or cream—had a 14 per cent lower risk of death compared to no coffee consumption.

But one cup of black coffee a day, specifically, slashed the risk of death including cardiovascular death, by 16 per cent. 

Those who drank between two and three a day saw the risk lowered by 17 per cent.  

However, researchers noted that the benefits peaked at three cups a day. 

They also found that those who added high amounts of sweeteners and dairy to their coffee did not experience the same benefits.

Researchers acknowledged, however, that the coffee consumption was self-reported by volunteers, so may have been underreported, limiting the findings.

It was also assessed without detailing the roast used and preparation methods.

Have you ever wondered what exactly happens inside your body after taking that first sip

NHS data shows a rise in the number of younger adults suffering from heart attacks over the past decade. The biggest increase (95 per cent) was recorded in the 25-29 year-old demographic, though as numbers of patients are low even small spikes can look dramatic 

Under NHS guidance, consuming more than four cups a day can increase blood pressure. 

Around 2million people in the UK are diagnosed with some form of heart disease, according to Government figures.

But charities estimate that a further six million have undiagnosed high blood pressure—one of the leading risk factors for stroke and heart attack.

Heart disease describes a range of conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels.

It’s often caused by fatty deposits in the arteries that can make it harder for blood and oxygen to flow properly through the vessels and to and from the heart.

This increases the risk of a blockage, and therefore stroke or heart attack.  

Last year, alarming data revealed that premature deaths from cardiovascular problems, such as heart attacks and strokes, had hit their highest level in more than a decade.

MailOnline has previously highlighted how the number of young people, under 40, in England being treated for heart attacks by the NHS is on the rise. 

Cases of heart attacks, heart failure and strokes among the under-75s has tumbled since the 1960s thanks to plummeting smoking rates, advanced surgical techniques and breakthroughs such as stents and statins.

But now, rising obesity rates, and its catalogue of associated health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes, are thought to be one of the major contributing factors.