How does coffee relate to blood pressure? Could it be the cause of the dreaded hypertension? Should people suffering from high blood pressure give up their favourite drink instead?
Meet the silent killer
According to statistics, 72% of men and 64% of women between the ages of 55 and 64 in this country suffer from high blood pressure. And according to experts, the number of patients has doubled in the last thirty years. Lifestyle is undoubtedly to blame. Poor lifestyle and excess stress create ideal conditions for the development of hypertension. The patient is usually unaware of his or her health problem. It is not for nothing that they say that high blood pressure does not hurt, which is why it has earned the apt nickname "the silent killer".
We know about coffee that it raises blood pressure due to its caffeine content, could regular coffee consumption be one of the causes of hypertension?
Coffee as a culprit in high blood pressure
Caffeine very often finds itself in the dock in court proceedings that aim to uncover the cause of high blood pressure. Let's get the facts straight first:
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coffee does indeed raise blood pressure very soon after consumption;
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200-300 mg of caffeine (i.e. about one espresso, or two cups of instant or drip coffee) can raise systolic blood pressure by 8 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 6 mm Hg. In practice, this means that if you have a normal blood pressure of 120/80, you will get to about 128/86 after such a dose of caffeine;
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the increase in pressure caused by coffee consumption lasts a maximum of three hours;
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it should be pointed out that regular coffee drinkers, who boast what is known as caffeine tolerance, do not usually experience pressure increases of this magnitude
So the verdict is that drinking coffee can raise blood pressure in the short term, but this effect is mitigated if you consume coffee regularly. So it can be said that coffee is not the one that deserves to be branded as the culprit in the hypertension case.
Is a cup of coffee forever forbidden for people suffering from high blood pressure?
Although you may come across opposing views, we now know from research that as long as a person doesn't overdo it with coffee consumption, roughly two cups a day poses no risk to them, even if they have already been diagnosed with hypertension.
A number of studies even suggest that the antioxidant content of coffee may be beneficial for hypertensive patients. But this is of course true for reasonable doses of caffeine, and it would not be appropriate for a person who has not been drinking coffee regularly to start drinking it immediately after being diagnosed with hypertension.
In this case, it is advisable to wait until you have your blood pressure stabilized and under control. Only then you can slowly and cautiously start drinking coffee and count on its short-term effect after consumption.
Anyway, treated hypertensive patients need not worry about consuming coffee in appropriate doses.
Choose a quality Exonerating verdict
There may be several causes of hypertension, but experts say drinking coffee in reasonable amounts is not one of them. And even people successfully treated for high blood pressure can enjoy a cup of the hot, fragrant beverage without worry.
Sources:
https://www.ikem.cz/cs/svetovy-den-hypertenze-2016/a-2743/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4665516/
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14779072.2017.1287563
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