Coffee may perk up the blood vessels due to the effects of caffeine, a study suggests.

Researchers found that drinking a cup of caffeinated coffee significantly improved blood flow in the fingers of 27 healthy adults.

Measuring blood flow in the finger provides an indication of how well the body’s smaller blood vessels are functioning.

Comparing normal-strength coffee with decaf, the caffeinated version increased blood flow by 30% over a 75-minute period.

Professor Masato Tsutsui, a heart expert from the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, Japan, said: “This gives us a clue about how coffee may help improve cardiovascular health.”