Does coffee increase blood pressure? |
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After the morning ritual of measuring blood pressure and drinking a cup of coffee, I listen to my mother-in-law and father-in-law debating whether coffee is bad for your blood pressure.
"Even if it's bad, - says the father in law - I cannot give it up," while mother in law ads: "It's not bad!"
And really, how many coffee drinkers are ready to abandon it, even if it is brings the risk of high blood pressure?
Coffee is one on the most popular drinks in the world.
The main ingredient in coffee is caffeine, which is a mild stimulant. Caffeine is naturally present in many types of nuts and berries, as well as in the leaves of some plants.
Caffeine is consumed by people of many cultures of the world, in different forms, but the most commonly in the form of tea or coffee.
Because of its high caffeine content, coffee has been the subject of scientific research for many years, and the results of those researches are controversial.
While some studies show that coffee does not cause increased blood pressure or the risk of heart attack or stroke, other research suggests the opposite.
Coffee is a very mild stimulant
Stimulants, by definition, increase the activity of the central nervous system and therefore enhance our alertness, concentration and attention.
However, this increased activity of the nervous system can cause constriction (narrowing) of blood vessels, causing blood pressure to rise and changing the amount of blood that passes through the heart.
In fact, the danger of strong stimulants like cocaine is in the fact that they directly affect the condition of blood vessels and the heart.
Studies show that caffeine actually acts as a mild stimulant and can cause constriction of blood vessels, which results in increased blood pressure.
However, caffeine is a mild stimulant.
According to research, drinking 1-2 cups of coffee increases blood pressure by only a slight 5 mm. In addition, such an effect of coffee is not permanent and it subsides after a few hours. This is because caffeine, unlike cigarettes or alcohol, does not stay long in the body.
Many people who regularly drink coffee have developed a tolerance to it and do not perceive the change in pressure, even after a few cups of coffee.
"Caffeine is a mild stimulant that is rapidly eliminated from the body. Coffee does not cause heart and blood vessel diseases and we found no association between coffee consumption and an increased risk of heart attack or stroke."
It is assumed that for most people it is quite safe to drink 4-5 cups of coffee a day, which is equivalent to 400 mg of caffeine. Pregnant women should not intake more than 300 mg of caffeine a day.
Coffee and cigarettes - a very bad combination!
While the coffee itself is very mild stimulant, combined with cigarettes it can raise blood pressure by more than 10 mm Hg within a few hours. Add to that the stressful situation at work and high blood pressure is almost guaranteed!
New research: coffee and stress hormones
Researches at Duke University Medical Center have shown that coffee consumption seriously increases the secretion of stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline. These two hormones play an important role in our lives - helping us to quickly and properly react in the case of emergency.
However, when these two hormones are released continuously, they can harm our health, for example, cause vascular disease and weaken the immune system.
"Drinking coffee increases alertness and attention, but at the same time forces our bodies to behave as though they are constantly under stress. If we add more everyday stressful situations, you inevitably get an increase in blood pressure and rapid heartbeat.
In our research, this effect lasted up to late at night, although the last cup of coffee was drunk at noon"- explained Dr. James Lane.
"You can explore how coffee affects the people in the lab. But it will not answer the question how coffee affects people in the real world where they are exposed to daily activities and stressful situations."
Dr. Lane recommends that people who suffer from high blood pressure and/or are exposed to stressful situations eliminate coffee from their daily lives.
Conclusion
Although the consumption of one or two cups of coffee a day did not produce a significant effect on the increase of blood pressure, it was found that caffeine causes the secretion of stress hormones, which in the long run may reflect badly on our health.
Drinking coffee in combination with smoking and stress can significantly affect blood pressure and eventually cause serious health problems.
If you have high blood pressure:
- change your diet; eat more raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains; limit the intake of animal foods, refined foods and sugar.
- get rid of bad habits (smoking, alcohol etc.)
- cleanse your body
- avoid stress
- exercise, walk in nature, do meditation and yoga
- reduction in blood pressure can be achieved with the help some natural supplements, for example, coenzyme, magnesium, noni and garlic.
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