Watch What You Put In Your Coffee Too
Remember what you put in your coffee also can affect your health. “What is more important is not the caffeine in coffee, but the extra ingredients folks add to spruce it up,” Dr. George says.
Sugar, artificial sweeteners, and heavy cream all can potentially add lots of calories or are linked to other risk factors, such as excess weight or type 2 diabetes, ultimately negating the benefits of coffee, according to Dr. George.
What To Eat To Lower Your Blood Pressure
Rolled oats
A review with five research trials included tested the impact of oats on systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure in about 400 healthy adults.
The researchers found that systolic blood pressure was 2.7 mmHg lower and diastolic blood pressure was 1.5 mmHg lower when participants ate around 60 grams of rolled oats or 25 grams of oat bran per day.
This quantity of oats or oat bran contains around four grams of a type of fibre called beta-glucan.
For each extra one gram of total daily fibre, there was an extra 0.11 mmHg reduction in diastolic blood pressure.
Recommended minimum daily adult fibre intakes are 30 grams for men and 25 grams for women.
While some of fibres effect is due to weight loss, soluble fibres produce bioactive products when theyre fermented in the large bowel. These work directly to lower blood pressure.
To improve your blood pressure, eat rolled oats or oat bran for breakfast, add to meat patties, or mix with breadcrumbs in recipes that call for crumbing.
Beetroot
Beetroot is extremely rich in a compound called inorganic nitrate. During digestion, this gets converted into nitric oxide, which causes arteries to dilate. This directly lowers the pressure in them.
A review of 16 trials of mostly healthy young men found drinking beetroot juice was associated with a 4.4 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure. But it found no change in diastolic blood pressure.
Vitamin C
Is There A Recommended Intake For Each
According to the American Medical Association Council on Scientific Affairs, moderate tea or coffee drinking is not likely to be harmful to your health as long as you have other good health habits. Reference Daily Intake is this:30
- Four 8 oz cups of brewed or drip coffee.
- Five servings of tea, which is about 165 to 235 mg of caffeine.
- Ten 8 oz cups of coffee a day is considered excessive intake.
As mentioned earlier, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a government advisory committee, have also said that moderate coffee ingestion is safe. And according to them, moderate consumption is this:
- Within the range of 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day, or up to 400 mg of caffeine per day.31
- However, pregnant women are recommended not to consume more than 200mg of caffeine a day, which is equivalent to about two mugs of instant coffee or about two and a half mugs of tea.32
More research studies are needed to close the debate on the pros and cons of tea and coffee consumption. But for now, moderate consumption is considered safe for healthy individuals.
References
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How Quickly Does Caffeine Increase Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is usually affected within 30 minutes of taking caffeine, with the peak effect occurring 1-2 hours after consumption when caffeine levels tend to be at their highest. It can take 3-6 hours for caffeine levels to reduce by half in your system. Blood pressure changes caused by caffeine have been found to last for more than 4 hours.
Coffee And Blood Pressure
According to a study in the October 2011 issue of the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,” drinking coffee substantially raises your blood pressure for up to three hours after consumption. Researchers state that 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine, equal to 2 to 3 cups of coffee depending on the strength, raised the systolic number by 8.1 millimeters of mercury and the diastolic by 5.7. This change took place within an hour of consumption. While researchers observed an immediate increase in blood pressure, they say that being a coffee drinker does not necessarily raise your blood pressure in the long term.
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Caffeine’s Effect On Blood Pressure
May 17, 2002 — The caffeine jolt of a java fix may cause a jump in blood pressure — a particular problem in people who already have high blood pressure. But don’t put your coffee cup down just yet. Researchers say the jury’s still out on the effects on caffeine on your heart.
This new study was presented today at the annual scientific meeting of the American Society of Hypertension in New York City.
Although there has been a lot of recent interest in studying how caffeine may affect the heart and blood pressure, the authors say it’s the first time an effect of caffeine has been found on the stiffness of arteries, an indicator of heart function.
In the study, caffeine quickly increased the stiffness of the large arteries in people with high blood pressure, said study author Charalambos Vlachopoulos, MD, of the department of cardiology at Athens Medical School in Greece, at a news conference.
Vlachopoulos and colleagues tested the effects of caffeine on the major arteries of 10 people who were being treated for high blood pressure and were an average of 62 years old. On alternating days, the participants were given either a pill containing 250 mg of caffeine or a placebo.
Thirty minutes after the caffeine was given, there was a big jump in the stiffness of their arteries, said Vlachopoulos. The effect peaked after 60 minutes and remained significant for at least three hours.
Caffeine And Blood Pressure Response Over Sex Age And Hormonal Status
Caffeine may impact blood pressure depending on your age and gender, but exactly how much is unclear, and likely unimportant for most of the population. The only group that might want to be careful about caffeine intakeor at least monitor its effect on blood pressureare people over 70. And women over 70 should be the most careful, if they are hypertensive.
I dont think caffeine poses any severe risks to people with blood pressure in the normal range, and it doesnt have to be avoided. There is really no solid science pointing to potential dangers, regardless of sex or age. If you drink a coffee or two in the morning and feel OK, I see no reason to stop.
But if you have high blood pressure or are hypertensive, it might be worthwhile switching to decaf. Ultimately, your current blood pressure is the determining factor on whether or not caffeine can pose a risk.
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Drink Your Way To Lower Blood Pressure
There are many delicious drinks which can actually help lower your blood pressure, as well as just not raising it. Youll find the most comprehensive overview of these in our book:
Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally The Complete 9 Step Guide.
Also, while you can drink your way to lower blood pressure to some extent, youll almost certainly need to adjust your diet and maybe other aspects of your lifestyle as well. If you want to seriously and sustainably lower your blood pressure for the long-term, then youll need to be quite active regularly. Youll also need to make sure youre not too stressed out too much of the time.
This might sound like quite a big ask, but it can actually be quite a straightforward process if you just take it one step at a time. Our book will help you do just that. Each step focuses on different aspects of lowering blood pressure naturally and gives you clear guidance on how to do it. You can follow the steps at whatever pace best suits you. Theres no deadline or race.
Theres also no terrible hardship to go through. Lowering blood pressure naturally absolutely does not have to be a life of denial. You can still eat chocolate, drink alcohol, and eat red meat and butter , along with plenty of other tasty and nutritious foods.
There are plenty of ways to get more exercise in your everyday life which are enjoyable and suit your natural interests you dont have to be a yoga or gym fanatic .
Some Reports Say Theres No Direct Link Between Caffeine And Blood Pressure
According to Mayo Clinic:
Caffeine can cause a short, but dramatic increase in your blood pressure, even if you don’t have high blood pressure. It’s unclear what causes this spike in blood pressure. Some researchers believe that caffeine could block a hormone that helps keep your arteries widened. Others think that caffeine causes your adrenal glands to release more adrenaline, which causes your blood pressure to increase.
Recent studies, however, have repeatedly reported that caffeine doesnt necessarily lead to an increased blood pressure, nor does it up the risk for cardiovascular diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease and cardiac arrest.
Verywellhealth.com also states a well-known study stating that theres no direct link between caffeine and a rise in blood pressure:
One very well-known study examined more than 85,000 women over a ten-year period and found that there was no increased risk of these diseases, even in women who drank more than six cups of coffee per day.
The Joint National Committee on Hypertension likewise reports that theres indeed no evidence that caffeine leads to high blood pressure.
And heres another silver lining:
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Does Caffeine Increase Blood Pressure
Caffeine is a natural stimulant found in the nuts, berries, and leaves of certain plants. Caffeine is most commonly consumed as coffee or tea products, and some have estimated that these beverages may be the most widely consumed foods in the world.
Because caffeine is so common in all human cultures, a great deal of research has been done to discover the health effects of caffeine. Relationships between caffeine and heart disease, as well as the caffeine-blood pressure link, have been especially active fields of study.
Coffee Raises Blood Pressure In The Short Term
The FDA recommends that adults dont drink more than 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, the average cup of coffee contains 80 to 100 milligrams of caffeine whereas a can of caffeinated soft drink contains 30-40 milligrams. According to a review of 34 studies, caffeine may raise your blood pressure, especially if you are not a regular coffee drinker. The review found that in general, drinking anywhere between 200-300 milligrams of caffeine can raise your systolic blood pressure by 8 mm Hg while boosting your diastolic blood pressure by 6 mm Hg. The caffeine, however, will usually only raise blood pressure levels for around 3 hours.
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What Can I Do If Im Concerned About Caffeine And High Blood Pressure
If you are at all concerned about how your caffeine habit may be affecting your heart, here are a few things you can do to help ease your mind:
To sum it up: In most cases, a cup or two of your favorite caffeinated beverage in the morning wont cause any harm. Unless your doctor told you to specifically avoid it, its not something you should lose sleep over. The high blood pressure that comes right after drinking caffeine is temporary and wont make you any more likely to develop hypertension later in life.
Now, if youll excuse me, I need to finish my large, iced, French vanilla coffee.
How Much Is Too Much Caffeine
People are debating this currently, but less than 6 cups of coffee a day should be safe. If you drink more than that long term, you might be at higher risk for heart disease.
You may have heard some media outlets saying recently that its safe to drink as much as 25 cups of coffee a day. Thats an exaggeration. The study theyve been referring to didnt actually look at people who drank more than 25 cups of coffee per day. In fact, most of the people in the heavy coffee drinker category reported only drinking 5 cups a day. Also, the study measured blood pressure, heart rate, and blood vessel stiffnessnot whether patients developed heart disease. We also dont know how long patients in the study stuck to their reported caffeine consumption.
So, as we mentioned, 6 cups a day or less is generally fine. Really, the biggest health concern lies in how you prepare your drink. The sugar and cream that many people like to add to coffee and tea can come with far more health risks than caffeine itself. Those extra calories have no benefits and can raise your risk for diabetes and heart disease over time.
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Why Does Coffee Reduce The Benefits Of Blood Pressure Medication
Many Americans take blood pressure medication to lower their numbers, but some patients dont seem to experience much improvement despite the therapy. New research has found a possible culprit that makes high blood pressure medication less effective. Coffee reduces benefits of blood pressure medications.
How Does Coffee Affect Your Blood Pressure
As a stimulant, coffee makes people more alert and awake. Over 154 million adults, or 75% of the US population, are reported to consume some form of it every day. Due to its popularity, there needs to be a better understanding of how it can impact your health. Experts agree that in moderation coffee is not unhealthy, but how does it affect your blood pressure?
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Are Coffee And Tea Good For High Blood Pressure
Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease . And it is a common condition in American adults.1 The role played by the most popular beverages tea and coffee, in blood pressure is still debated. For years, it was believed that caffeine present in them will have an adverse effect on blood pressure . But, recent research studies have contradicted these findings.2 The fretting about caffeine in coffee and tea is, thus, slowly fading. Here are the facts about the power of tea and coffee in combating high blood pressure.
The Effects Of Caffeine On Blood Pressure
Coffee photo by https://goodstock.photos
Caffeine raises blood pressure through causing blood vessels to contract. It may also block a hormone that keeps arteries dilated, and can trigger the release of adrenaline which increases blood pressure.
Caffeine has also been shown to intensify your physical and mental experience of stress: a study at Duke University in the US showed that caffeine increased the levels of stress hormones in the body and amplified perceptions of stress. Since stress can cause high blood pressure, this means the worst thing you can do when youre feeling stressed is grab a cup of coffee!
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Your Genes Play A Huge Part In Your Risk
Based on those studies alone, it appears youre in the clear to indulge every day
But its not that straight forward.
Not all the large observational studies found that regular coffee consumption is harmless. A possible reason for the inconsistent findings is that the population varies in underlying responses to caffeine.
How well we metabolise and tolerate caffeine is determined by our genes.
Individual genetic variations influence how our body reacts to external factors, especially how it reacts to the nutrients we eat. Genetic variations can influence metabolism for loads of nutrients such as alcohol , folate and folic acid , and caffeine too.
Depending on your genes, you may be a fast caffeine metaboliser or a slow one. This greatly influences how your blood pressure responds to coffee, as well as your heart disease risk .
Sadly, Im a super slow caffeine metaboliser, which is why I drink decaf.
Therefore, although caffeine only raises blood pressure short-term, those who are slow caffeine metabolisers and consume large amounts of coffee are probably at greater risk of negative cardiovascular health consequences.
In other words, if you are sensitive to caffeine and already have high blood pressure, it would be in your best interest to minimise intake or drink decaf where possible.
Indirect Effects Of Caffeine On Blood Pressure
Caffeine not only increases blood pressure directly but also contributes to indirect effects of caffeine on blood pressure. For example, caffeine increases the level of stress experienced physically and mentally. And of course it has long been known that stress contributes to high blood pressure
Caffeine and stress and high blood pressure
Research conducted at Duke University in the US, showed that caffeine increased the levels of stress hormones in the body and amplified peoples perceptions of stress, as well as increasing heart rate and blood pressure.
Heres how the experiment worked. Habitual coffee drinkers had their response to caffeine measured on two randomly chosen days. On one of these days they were given two capsules containing 250mg of caffeine in the morning and at lunchtime the equivalent of about four cups of coffee in total. On another day they were given identical placebo capsules at the same times so that they didnt know which was which.
The days when they were given the caffeine capsules, the participants had significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels throughout the day and night, and also higher adrenaline levels .
These physiological effects were highest at the points in the day when the participants reported feeling the most psychologically stressed.
In other words, according to Dr James D. Lane, the research professor leading the study,
Caffeine, stress and high blood pressure what to do about it?
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