Coffee can be good for your health — but only when enjoyed first thing in the morning, according to recent research. Researchers found that those who drank their daily dose in the morning were 31% less likely to die from heart disease compared with those who drank all day or never at all – scientists conducted extensive analyses on over 40,000 individuals over 10 years and concluded that morning coffee consumption is the optimal time frame when it comes to heart disease risk reduction.

But the benefits of morning java don’t end there: according to researchers, those who consumed four or more cups per day were at least 16 percent less likely to die from any cause compared with those who drank none at all; heart disease-related deaths did not decrease among people consuming more than three cups per day in the afternoon despite researchers believing such consumption may disrupt circadian rhythms or hormone levels and change cardiovascular risk factors such as inflammation.

Researchers caution that their study only examined coffee consumption at one part of the day and did not take into account other lifestyle factors which might skew results, including medications which interact with caffeine or factors like diet, exercise, sleep habits or family history of heart disease. It’s unclear whether participants drank their coffee with sugar or sweeteners added, which can add extra calories and raise heart disease risks; one teaspoon of sugar equals eight grams of carbohydrates so cutting back could lower risk.

Though these findings are encouraging, more work needs to be done. Scientists are conducting a follow-up study that will investigate how different parts of the day affect heart disease risk; potentially this research may show that all-day coffee drinking might not be as healthy as many think.

Notably, research has established that drinking three to five cups of coffee per day can have numerous health advantages. These benefits include decreased risks of liver cancer, depression and suicide; reduced kidney stones/gallstones; type 2 diabetes/Parkinson’s disease as well as overall mortality reductions.

For optimal results, choose organic fair-trade beans roasted and ground in small batches by hot water rather than boiling, as this method helps preserve more polyphenols linked with health benefits found in coffee. If you want your cup to be even more healthful then select beans from high altitude regions in Central or South America or Ethiopia as they have been shown to contain the highest concentration of antioxidants.