Coffee and high blood pressure. Coffee raises or lowers blood pressure. How does coffee affect a person

21.08.2020

The fact that caffeine increases blood pressure has been known for a long time: there have been a lot of full-scale studies on this topic. For example, a few years ago, experts from the Department of Medical Prevention at the University of Healthcare of Madrid conducted an experiment that determined the exact indicators of the increase in pressure after drinking a cup of coffee. During the experiment, it was found that caffeine in the amount of 200-300 mg (2-3 cups of coffee) increases the systolic blood pressure by 8.1 mm Hg. Art., and the diastolic indicator - by 5.7 mm Hg. Art. The increased blood pressure is observed during the first 60 minutes after drinking caffeine and can be maintained for about 3 hours. The experiment was carried out on healthy people who did not suffer from hypertension, hypotension or cardiovascular pathologies.

However, almost all experts are unequivocally convinced that in order to ascertain the "harmlessness" of caffeine, long-term studies are required, which will allow observing the use of coffee for several years and even decades. Only such studies will make it possible to accurately assert about the positive or negative effects of caffeine on blood pressure and the body as a whole.

How does coffee affect blood pressure?

Italian specialists also conducted further studies. They assigned 20 volunteers to have a cup of espresso every morning. Results show that a cup of espresso lowers coronary blood flow by about 20% for 60 minutes after drinking. If initially there are any heart problems, then drinking just one cup of strong coffee can cause pain in the heart and peripheral circulation disorders. Of course, if the heart is completely healthy, then a person may not feel the negative influence.

The same goes for the effect of coffee on blood pressure.

Low pressure coffee is able to stabilize performance and bring low blood pressure back to normal. Another thing is that coffee causes some dependence, so a hypotonic person who drinks coffee in the morning to increase blood pressure may need more and more doses of the drink over time. And this can already affect the state of the cardiovascular system.

High pressure coffee is most harmful. Why? The fact is that with hypertension there is already an increased load on the heart and blood vessels, and drinking coffee aggravates this condition. In addition, a slight rise in pressure after drinking coffee can "spur" and trigger the mechanism of increasing pressure in the body, which will already significantly affect the indicators. The pressure regulation system in hypertensive patients is in a "loose" state, and drinking a cup or two of an aromatic drink can provoke a rise in pressure.

People with stable blood pressure may not be afraid of drinking coffee. Of course, within reasonable limits. Two or three cups of freshly brewed natural coffee a day will not harm, however, experts advise against drinking instant or surrogate coffee, or drinking more than 5 cups of it a day, as this can cause depletion of nerve cells and the appearance of a constant feeling of fatigue.

Does coffee increase blood pressure?

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks. Its main ingredient is caffeine, recognized as a natural natural stimulant. Caffeine can be found not only in coffee beans, but also in some nuts, fruits, and deciduous parts of plants. However, a person still gets the main amount of this substance with tea or coffee, as well as with cola or chocolate.

The massive consumption of coffee has become the reason for all kinds of studies that have been conducted in order to study the effect of coffee on blood pressure indicators.

Coffee stimulates the central nervous system, so it is often used when overworked, lack of sleep, and also to improve mental activity. However, high concentrations of caffeine in the bloodstream can lead to vascular spasms, which in turn will increase blood pressure readings.

The endogenous nucleoside adenosine is synthesized in the central nervous system, which is responsible for the normal process of falling asleep, healthy sleep and a decrease in activity by the end of the day. If it were not for the action of adenosine, a person would have been awake for many days in a row, and subsequently would have simply fallen off his feet from exhaustion and exhaustion. This substance determines the person's need for rest and pushes the body to sleep and recuperation.

Caffeine has the ability to block the synthesis of adenosine, which, on the one hand, stimulates brain activity, but, on the other hand, is a factor in increasing blood pressure. In addition, caffeine stimulates adrenal hormone production by the adrenal glands, which can also increase blood pressure.

Based on this, many scientists have concluded that regular coffee consumption can provoke a steady increase in blood pressure, even in people with initially normal blood pressure.

But such conclusions are not entirely true. According to the results of recent experiments, the degree of increase in blood pressure with regular use of the drink in a healthy person is very slow, but in a person prone to hypertension, this process is faster. Thus, if a person has a tendency to increase blood pressure, then coffee can contribute to this increase. True, some scientists at the same time stipulate that for a tendency to increase blood pressure, you should drink more than 2 cups of coffee a day.

Does coffee pressure lower?

Let's return to the results of research carried out by world experts. We have already said that the degree of increase in blood pressure after consuming caffeine in healthy people is less pronounced than in hypertensive patients. But these indicators, as a rule, are not critical and do not last for a long time. In addition, as a result of all the same studies, data were obtained that scientists still cannot clearly explain: in 15% of subjects suffering from a regular increase in blood pressure, when drinking 2 cups of coffee per day, the pressure indicators decreased.

How do experts explain this?

  1. The relationship between coffee and pressure is actually much more complex than previously thought. It has been proven that constant and prolonged use of various doses of caffeine develops a certain degree of dependence (immunity) to coffee, which can reduce the degree of its influence on blood pressure indicators. Some experiments suggest that people who do not drink coffee are less at risk of developing hypertension. Other studies demonstrate the fact that those who consume coffee regularly, but in moderation, have a lower risk. Their body "gets used" to caffeine and ceases to react to it as a source of pressure increase.
  2. The effect of coffee on blood pressure is individual and may depend on the presence or absence of diseases, the type of nervous system and the genetic characteristics of the organism. It's no secret that some genes in our body are responsible for the rate and extent of the breakdown of caffeine in the human body. For some, this process is fast, and for some, it is slow. For this reason, in some people, even one cup of coffee can cause an increase in blood pressure, while in others it will be harmless and a much larger volume of drink drunk.

Why does coffee increase blood pressure?

Experimental experiments, during which they measured the activity of electrical impulses in the brain, demonstrated that drinking 200-300 ml of coffee has a significant effect on the degree of brain activity, bringing it from a calm state to a highly active one. Because of this property, caffeine is often referred to as a "psychotropic" drug.

Coffee affects brain function by inhibiting the production of adenosine, which, among other things, helps the transmission of nerve impulses along the nerve fibers. As a result, there is no trace of the calming ability of adenosine: neurons are quickly and for a long time excited, being stimulated to the point of exhaustion.

Simultaneously with these processes, there is an effect on the adrenal cortex, which causes an increase in the amount of "stress hormones" in the bloodstream. These are adrenaline, cortisol, and norepinephrine. These substances are usually produced when a person is in an anxious, agitated or frightened state. As a result, additional stimulation of brain activity occurs, which sooner or later leads to an acceleration of cardiac activity, increased blood circulation and spasms of peripheral and cerebral vessels. The result is an increase in physical activity, psychomotor agitation and an increase in blood pressure.

Green coffee and pressure

Green coffee beans are actively used in medicine as a means of stimulating metabolism, stabilizing sugar levels, and activating the central nervous system. Of course, like regular coffee, green beans require compliance, otherwise the abuse of green coffee can affect the functioning of many body systems.

It has been experimentally proven that 2-3 cups of green coffee per day reduce the likelihood of cancer, obesity, type II diabetes, and capillary problems.

How do green coffee and pressure relate?

Green coffee contains the same caffeine as roasted black coffee beans. For this reason, green coffee is advised to drink to people who do not have problems with blood pressure, or hypotonic - people with a tendency to low blood pressure.

Under reduced pressure, green coffee can have the following effects:

  • stabilize the condition of the coronary vessels;
  • balance the vascular system of the brain;
  • stimulate the respiratory and motor brain centers;
  • normalize the vascular system of the skeletal muscles;
  • stimulate cardiac activity;
  • accelerate blood circulation.

There is no confirmed evidence that green coffee lowers blood pressure. Doctors unequivocally say: persons with II and III Art. hypertension, drinking coffee, including green, is highly undesirable.

In all other people, drinking green coffee within reasonable limits should not cause a significant increase in blood pressure. However, one should not forget that overuse of the drink and regular excess of the permissible dosages can lead to vascular spasms in the brain, an increase in blood pressure and serious disruptions of heart and brain functions.

As systematic observations show, every fifth person who drinks coffee has an increase in blood pressure. However, the exact mechanism of this increase has not yet been thoroughly studied.

Does caffeine sodium benzoate raise blood pressure?

Caffeine sodium benzoate is a psychostimulant drug that is almost completely similar to caffeine. As a rule, it is used to stimulate the central nervous system, with narcotic intoxication and other diseases that require the excitation of the vasomotor and respiratory brain centers.

Of course, caffeine sodium benzoate raises blood pressure, as does regular caffeine. It can likewise cause addictive effects, sleep disturbances and general arousal.

Caffeine-sodium benzoate is not used with a steady rise in blood pressure, with an increase in intraocular pressure, atherosclerosis and sleep disorders.

The effect of the drug on pressure indicators is determined by the dosage of this psychostimulant agent, as well as the initial values \u200b\u200bof blood pressure.

Does coffee with milk raise blood pressure?

It is very difficult to argue about the positive or negative effect of coffee with the addition of milk on the body. Most likely, the essence of the issue is not so much in the drink as in its quantity. If the use of any coffee drink, even milk, is moderate, then any risks will be minimal.

It has been proven that caffeine can increase blood pressure. As for milk, this is a controversial issue. Many experts are inclined to believe that adding milk to coffee allows you to lower the concentration of caffeine, but it will not be possible to completely neutralize it. Therefore, it is recommended to drink coffee with milk, but again within reasonable limits: no more than 2-3 cups per day. In addition, the presence of a dairy product in coffee makes it possible to replenish calcium losses, which is very important, especially for the elderly.

We can confidently assert: it is possible that coffee with milk increases blood pressure, but, as a rule, insignificantly. Anyone can consume up to 3 cups of weak coffee with milk.

Does decaf coffee raise blood pressure?

Decaffeinated coffee is a seemingly great solution for those who do not recommend regular coffee. However, is it that simple?

The difficulty is that "decaffeinated coffee" is not quite the correct name for the drink. It would be more correct to say "coffee with less caffeine". The production of such coffee allows the content of unwanted alkaloid in an amount of more than 3 mg. In fact, one cup of instant decaffeinated drink still contains up to 14 mg of caffeine, and a cup of decaffeinated custard coffee - up to 13.5 mg. And what will happen if a hypertensive person, being sure that he drinks decaffeinated coffee, uses 6-7 cups of the drink? But this amount of caffeine can already have an effect on the body.

While the technological subtleties of the coffee decaffeination process are imperfect, experts advise not to lean on such a drink: in addition to low doses of caffeine, such coffee contains harmful impurities left over from the reactions of cleansing the drink from caffeine, as well as a greater amount of fat than in regular coffee. And the taste, as they say, is "for an amateur".

If you really want coffee, then drink the usual black, but natural, not soluble. And do not overdo it: one cup, with milk, is unlikely to do much harm. Alternatively, switch to chicory altogether: there is certainly no caffeine here.

Coffee with intracranial pressure

Caffeine is contraindicated in case of increased intraocular and intracranial pressure.

The most common cause of increased intracranial pressure is cerebral vasospasm. And caffeine, as we said above, can only aggravate these spasms, which will significantly impede blood circulation and worsen the patient's condition.

With increased intracranial pressure, drinks and drugs should be consumed that expand the lumen of blood vessels, improve blood circulation, which can relieve symptoms and, in particular, headache.

You should not experiment with the use of coffee with intracranial pressure: you need to consume drinks and foods, only being in complete confidence that they will not harm you.

Which coffee raises blood pressure?

Which coffee raises blood pressure? In principle, this can be attributed to any type of coffee: regular instant or ground coffee, green, and even decaffeinated coffee if consumed without measure.

A healthy person who drinks coffee in moderation can get many benefits from this drink:

  • stimulation of metabolic processes;
  • reducing the risk of type II diabetes and cancer;
  • improving the function of the senses, concentration, memory;
  • increasing mental and physical performance.

With a tendency to high blood pressure, and especially with diagnosed hypertension, coffee should be consumed several times more carefully: no more than 2 cups a day, weak, only natural ground, it is possible with milk and not on an empty stomach.

And one more thing: try to drink coffee not every day, sometimes replacing it with other drinks.

Coffee drinking and pressure can coexist if you approach this issue wisely, without overusing and observing the measure. But, in any case, with a pronounced increase in blood pressure, before pouring a cup of coffee, seek the advice of your doctor.

Do you remember the words of the hero played by Andrei Mironov in the movie "The Diamond Arm": "I need to take a bath, have a cup of coffee"? Only in this way could he shake off the remnants of the dream.

The fact that coffee invigorates, helps to restore strength, most people directly associate with its ability to increase blood pressure, put an equal sign between these phenomena.

Coffee is indeed a natural energetic, has an exciting effect on the body as a whole - here both the heartbeat is rapid, and the perception of the surrounding world is more acute.

However, doctors still do not give a definite answer to the question of what effect coffee has on blood pressure indicators.

In most cases, it really rises, however affects some people in exactly the opposite way - provokes lethargy, drowsiness. Find out why you want to sleep from coffee in ours.

Doctors see the reasons for this in the individual characteristics of the organism and believe that the mechanism of such an effect should be carefully studied.

What tea increases and what lowers blood pressure we told.

How coffee affects blood pressure: increases or decreases

The typical reaction of the body to a cup of coffee is pretty clear. Available in the drink caffeine enters the bloodstream and provokes vasospasm... This results in an increase in pressure. We recommend our detailed article on how coffee affects blood vessels - by.

The dependence is direct. Caffeine also manages to block the work of a substance in the body called adenosine, due to which a person feels sleepy and loses vigor.

And also caffeine promotes adrenaline production, which also infuses the body with new strength, and sleep - relieves by hand. Here is a general outline of the effects of coffee on the body.

What happens to a person from a medical point of view? After drinking coffee:

  • blood vessels dilate;
  • the work of the heart becomes more intense;
  • breathing quickens;
  • the work of the central nervous system is stimulated;
  • the pressure rises (taking into account the individual characteristics of a particular person).

The question of whether blood pressure rises or falls after drinking coffee has repeatedly become the subject of scientific research.

And here's what we found out. If a healthy person drinks coffee, the pressure changes insignificantly. In hypertensive patients, the jump can be noticeable and even hazardous to health.

But 15 percent of people who drink coffee and found themselves in the field of view of the studies reacted to the invigorating drink unexpectedly - there was evidence that the drunk coffee even slightly lowers the numbers on the tonometer.

And further scientists came to the following conclusion: if people regularly drink coffee, then they react to it more calmly, without sudden surges in pressure - the body simply gets used to caffeine and if any changes occur, then they are not too violent.

Doctors also dotted the i's in the question of whether which coffee raises the pressure... It turns out, any: instant, natural ground, green coffee and even coffee with milk, since it only contains less concentration of this product, not to mention (hypertensive patients should be especially careful with this drink).

And still need carefully monitor your well-being and, if the pressure readings begin to deteriorate, make a courageous decision and switch from coffee to some healthier drink that lowers high blood pressure.

You should also know that with intracranial pressure, which is higher than normal, caffeine is generally contraindicated. It causes vasospasm, and the patient needs them, on the contrary, to be wider - this normalizes blood circulation and relieves unpleasant symptoms, for example, headache.

Those who have vision problems also have to be more careful with an invigorating drink: coffee (as well as black tea) increases eye pressure... It may be dangerous.

Does it cause cardiac ischemia?

Not so long ago, Italian researchers conducted an experiment with two dozen volunteers to find out what effect coffee has on heart function. Every morning, people drank a cup of espresso, and then fell into the hands of researchers.

It turned out that within an hour the coronary blood flow decreased its intensity approximately twenty percent... Even an inexperienced person in medical matters understands that the normal functioning of the heart has been impaired.

Italians made this conclusion: if coffee is drunk by cores, then even a small cup of espresso can cause them heart pain and disruptions in peripheral circulation.

But for a healthy person, whose body easily copes with such problems, coffee does not pose a real danger, which means that it cannot become a reason for the onset of coronary artery disease.

And more about scientific research. For ten years, scientists from our country have already observed a large group of patients. The subject of their study was as follows: can coffee provoke coronary artery disease.

It turned out that people who consumed an invigorating drink in large quantities suffered from coronary insufficiency no more often than those who did not drink coffee at all. This allowed us to conclude that coffee does not cause ischemia of the heart.

However, doctors do not stop reminding that healthy people need to be moderate in everything related to coffee, and those who have heart problems should refuse a cup of coffee for their own good.

What raises blood pressure besides coffee?

Low blood pressure is not only alarming numbers on the tonometer, it is also unpleasant sensations that you want to deal with as soon as possible: weakness, "flies" in the eyes, and sometimes ringing in the ears.

In addition to various pharmaceutical preparations, many hypotensive patients an affordable and tasty medicine helps - a cup of coffee.

Black tea also helps to bring pressure closer to normal (we are already talking about what effect it has on the body).

If none of these options suit you, you can raise the reduced pressure in other ways.

When a patient bets on drugs, he can get at the pharmacy (optional):

  • caffeine tablets;
  • tincture of ginseng (it has a cumulative, and not a one-time effect on the body);
  • eleutherococcus extract;
  • tincture of lemongrass;
  • cordiamine drops (this remedy is taken once, it is considered potent).

Promotes blood pressure and a whole arsenal of folk remedies:

  • tea with thyme;
  • herbal collection, composed of yarrow, tansy, immortelle and prickly steel;
  • tea from rhodiola rosea (the roots of this plant are poured with boiling water and insisted in a thermos);
  • ginseng drink (from the dry roots of the plant).

Doctors advise not to get carried away with the same remedy for a long time, so that the body does not become addicted. One month you can drink thyme tea, and then switch, for example, to ginseng drink.

And also it is very important to drink juices to normalize blood pressure... The most useful for raising blood pressure: apple, pomegranate, tomato, grape, carrot.

Coffee is the most common stumbling block in medical debates. He then falls into disgrace, then unexpectedly and unconditionally is rehabilitated.

In such circumstances, each person just needs to remember that the truth is always somewhere in between, and the abuse of even the most useful products can lead to negative consequences.

The power of coffee beans has been known for centuries. There are hundreds of recipes for making a fragrant drink, without which it is difficult to imagine a morning, it is easier to discuss problems and business issues over a cup of coffee, and to discuss news slowly. It is the habit not only to start the day with coffee, but also to drink it more and more often, the creation of a real cult of coffee is causing the medical attention. Constant "invigorating", the inability to overcome drowsiness without a good portion of the drink, ever increasing doses cause nervous exhaustion, an increasing concentration of ground grains is required for normal well-being, and as a result, the body begins to protest and give sharp jumps in pressure as a response. It is believed that such a reaction is extremely dangerous for people with hypertension.

It is no coincidence that the drink made from the roasted fruits of the coffee tree, carefully ground and brewed in a Turk, has become extremely popular. It contains many substances useful for the human body.

  1. Organic acids: thanks to them, coffee has a beneficial effect on digestion, has a slight antiseptic effect, and stimulates the intestines.
  2. Polysaccharides: complex carbohydrates are easily absorbed, stimulating the activity of the brain, thanks to them coffee is appreciated as a drink that improves memory and concentration.
  3. Caffeine: an alkaloid that has an exciting effect on the nervous system, cerebral cortex.
  4. Trigonelline: Another alkaloid found in coffee that is responsible for the taste and smell of this invigorating drink, trigonelline is converted to nicotinic acid when roasted.

A tiny grain contains many more substances, the combination of which makes the drink not only tasty, but also very useful if taken in moderate doses. Caffeine increases the pressure in blood vessels, narrowing them and reducing the effect on nerve fibers. However, its effect is short-lived. Adenosine, which inhibits the impulses of nerve fibers and has a calming effect, stops being produced under the influence of caffeine, which provokes the synthesis of stress hormones, which explains the excitement after taking coffee. As soon as the alkaloid began to be excreted from the body, the process of adenosine formation starts in the adrenal cortex, neutralization of trimethylxanthine, the state of the nervous system returns to normal.

Recent studies have shown that coffee is a much better antioxidant than green tea, enhances the effect of antibiotics, reduces the level of histamines responsible for the development of allergic reactions, scientists are sure that the alkaloids contained in grains even inhibit the development of oncological processes. The drink prevents the accumulation of protein in brain cells, which is believed to be the culprit of Alzheimer's disease, senile dementia, and other pathological changes in brain activity.

Experiments that measured the activity of brain impulses proved that 250 ml of coffee helps the brain move from a quiet to a highly active phase by speeding up the transmission of signals along nerve fibers. The adrenal cortex is also involved in the processes, producing "stress hormones": cortisol, adrenaline and others. As a result, blood circulation accelerates, cardiac activity increases, activity increases, excitement increases, which also causes an increase in pressure.

Hypertension is not a sentence

At the end of the last century, the diagnosis of "hypertension" became a verdict for coffee lovers: doctors prohibited this drink for any form of arterial hypertension, even a small height made a person forget about both strong brewed tea and coffee.

It was believed that coffee, even in small doses, causes not only an increase in pressure, but also:

  • tachycardia;
  • nausea;
  • dizziness;
  • arrhythmia;
  • insomnia;
  • nervous tension;
  • irritability.

And since the drink is addictive like a drug, it took a lot of effort to wean yourself from the habit of taking a couple of cups a day. And this caused irritation, nervous overstrain, increased drowsiness, reduced concentration of attention, which could not but have a negative effect on the patient's condition, causing further aggravation of the disease.

At the same time, the positive effect on the body was completely denied.

And it is large enough. For medical purposes, coffee is recommended for:

  • cardiovascular failure to enhance the activity of the heart muscle;
  • depression of central nervous system functions after severe viral infections, other diseases;
  • migraines to relieve spasms;
  • depression, depression to stimulate the production of the hormone serotonin, which is often called the hubbub of happiness;
  • poisoning causing breathing problems, bronchospasm.

Coffee does not allow the development of caries, despite the fact that it causes darkening of the enamel, the antioxidants in it have a positive effect on the skin, make it more elastic and elastic.

In small quantities, coffee tones up, invigorates, and its correct, competent reception can help to cope with many problems, including overwork, the need to focus on the period of "brainstorming" before exams.

To drink or not to drink

Now, high blood pressure is not always called a disease. Doctors began to talk about the so-called working pressure, which is attributed to the individual characteristics of the body. After all, someone lives normally and does not even feel the pressure of 130-140, and for some 125 it is already very serious, since the norm for them is 90-100. All of this should be taken into account when assessing the impact of coffee on humans.

You should be extremely attentive to the recommendations of doctors with constantly increased pressure. After all, coffee manifests its effect much stronger just in the body of hypertensive patients, it comes on much faster and takes longer. But the most amazing thing is that in a quarter of people with hypertension who constantly drink coffee, the pressure after taking it even decreases. The pressure will not rise even in those who use this drink constantly. But a sharp and categorical rejection of an invigorating elixir can seriously harm coffee lovers, causing those very arrhythmias, tachycardia, headaches and weakness.

And one more point, which is always recommended for coffee lovers: an instant drink containing no more than 15% of real coffee beans is much more dangerous for people suffering from high blood pressure. At the heart of the powder are addictive chemicals, preservatives, which also do more harm than good. Almost all the beneficial properties of coffee beans are reduced to zero, it should be discarded in any case.

Basic rules for drinking coffee with a tendency to increase blood pressure:

  • do not drink coffee before breakfast - the pressure in the morning is usually slightly lowered, however, within 1-2 hours it rises to normal, as a result, the hypertensive person will raise it twice;
  • significantly less effect on the body has coffee with milk, lemon, somewhat neutralizing caffeine;
  • together with sugar coffee can provoke an attack of hypertension;
  • do not consume more than 300 mg of caffeine per day: each cup contains up to 110 mg of this substance;
  • ground, natural coffee should be preferred to instant coffee;
  • you cannot go in for sports, sunbathe, physical activity after taking coffee is categorically contraindicated.

Doctors consider 10 grams of caffeine to be a life-threatening dose, that is, a conditionally healthy person can die after drinking about 100 cups one after another. But double vision, nausea, tremors and dizziness can be felt after 5-6 cups, so you should not abuse coffee so much, no matter how strong the fatigue is. Getting used to a strong drink with its constant use reduces the effect on the body, forcing to increase the dosage, but even this does not allow in the end to achieve the desired result.

Is coffee to blame for hypertension?

The therapists advise hypertensive patients - coffee lovers to completely abandon coffee, claiming that it is because of this drink that a pathological condition develops. But doctors are a little cunning, because it has not yet been proven that the constant use of an invigorating elixir contributes to the aggravation of the disease.

The mechanism of the effect of the drink on each organism is purely individual, so you should listen to what the therapist recommends, constantly monitoring the pressure in case of health problems.

Coffee in the morningCoffee throughout the day
An increase in pressure by 10-20 units in the morning is not dangerous with small deviations from the normIncreases efficiency, speed of reactions, enhances brain activity
A portion of freshly brewed coffee after breakfast helps stimulate the heart, cerebral cortex, and digestive organsImproves blood supply, heart, blood vessels
Helps Serotonin Production, Improving MoodEliminates sodium and potassium deficiency
Enhances concentrationRelieves fatigue, helps with neuroses, respiratory depression
Increases the speed of reactionsHas a diuretic effect, which can even lower blood pressure somewhat

If high blood pressure has become the reason for a disappointing diagnosis of "hypertension" in a person who cannot imagine life without coffee, in the early stages it is worth monitoring its effect on the body. A hypertensive crisis after a morning cup is recorded in people who do not drink coffee all the time, but only from time to time. For coffee lovers, the effect may not be observed at all. But if the disease has become more serious, you should begin to gradually wean yourself from this drink, replacing it with chicory, herbal teas. Errors in the dosage of ground grains or the amount consumed can lead to hospitalization.

1 0

Coffee is one of the most popular and demanded drinks. Having started its distribution from the Arabian Peninsula more than half a thousand years ago, this product has literally conquered the whole world, and has firmly entered the cultural traditions of many peoples.

Contrary to popular belief, coffee came to Russia in pre-Petrine times, during the reign of "The Quietest" Alexei Mikhailovich, however, only as a medicine prescribed to the tsar for headaches, colds and excessive melancholy. It took more than a century for this drink to take root in the everyday life of Russians, overcoming religious and class prejudices, sometimes even with the use of tough administrative measures.

Now, most people cannot even imagine their daily life without this drink. However, a discussion about its dubious benefits and the whole bouquet of negative effects on the human body is constantly boiling around coffee. Especially opponents of coffee lean on its destructive effects on the cardiovascular system.

To understand where the truth lies, first you should consider the biochemical composition of coffee.

What is included in coffee beans

It is simply impossible to fully describe all the biochemical components of coffee beans in the format of an article - their number reaches a thousand, and many of them directly affect the taste characteristics of the finished drink.
Up to three quarters of the mass are insoluble and difficult to digest polysaccharides, fiber, water and coffee oil, which cannot have any significant effect on the body.

The most essential and active ingredients include caffeine, chlorogenic acid, tannins, vitamin P, and trigonelline.

Caffeine

It is the presence of this complex alkaloid that causes numerous disputes about the benefits and dangers of the product. But interestingly, caffeine is an absolutely colorless, odorless substance, that is, the aroma of the drink is not at all its merit. Besides coffee beans, caffeine is found in tea, cocoa, cola.
The study of this substance was carried out by the famous physiologist I. Pavlov, who outlined the mechanisms of its effect on the cerebral cortex. So, the scientist came to the conclusion that certain doses of caffeine stimulate physical and mental activity, enhance reflex functions, and relieve fatigue. However, exceeding the norm can lead to exhaustion, are addictive, there have even been cases of critical intoxication of the body.

Caffeine is used in some medicines in the treatment of respiratory diseases, in tonic formulations that increase performance.

The amount of caffeine depends a lot on the variety of beans. So, in "Arabica" the concentration is not the highest - up to 1.2% of the dry product weight, in "Liberica" \u200b\u200b- up to 1.5, but in "Robusta" this figure can reach 3%.

What are the conclusions?

People who have read the previous section and who already have heart problems should not be overjoyed and immediately run to the kitchen to brew a cup of strong drink. Coffee will often do more good than harm, but not always, and not for everyone. It does not directly cause cardiovascular disorders, but there are still restrictions on its use.

  • Even a short-term increase in heart rate and an increase in pressure, which can be quite significant for the "cores", can bring significant damage to their health. Coffee is also not indicated for people with severe cardiac arrhythmia.
  • With atherosclerosis, coffee can have a positive effect, but only if we are talking about limited use and sufficient "lightness" of the brewed drink.
  • Drinking coffee in the evening can over-stimulate the nervous system, cause anxiety, insomnia, and increased heart rate. For people with cardiac diseases, this is an increased risk factor.

Summing up, we can say that the negative effects of coffee on the body of a healthy person are possible only with its excessive consumption.

Average statistics say that a reasonable amount of drink would be two to three cups of coffee during the first half of the day. With this mode of its use and with proper brewing of high-quality natural beans, coffee can bring nothing but benefit.

Related videos:

Coffee is a natural energy drink. This pleasant-tasting drink with an amazing aroma is capable of stimulating the body. This is manifested in rapid heartbeat and breathing, vasoconstriction and general excitement of the nervous system.

People don't just drink coffee to enjoy the taste. A cup of coffee is a great way to relieve fatigue and invigorate. There are different opinions regarding the benefits or harms of the drink for humans. But most of all people are worried about the question: "Does coffee raise or lower blood pressure?"

Coffee composition

Scientists have found that the drink contains about a thousand different chemicals. Moreover, 80% of their total amount belongs to aromatic elements that give a wonderful taste and aroma, which is appreciated all over the world. And only the remaining 20% \u200b\u200bdetermine its properties and characteristics.

The main substance that has a strong enough effect on the body is caffeine. It stimulates the nervous system and speeds up blood circulation, providing an invigorating effect on the entire body as a whole.

Caffeine is widely used in medicine. It helps with headaches, serves as a diuretic and is a stimulating energy drink. It is even used for weight loss.

However, the use of caffeine requires caution. First, it can increase blood pressure. Second, caffeine is addictive. This is facilitated by the special substances that make up it: theophylline and theobromine. It is they who make a person a real coffee lover, because without this special doping, the body cannot wake up.

The composition of coffee also contains elements that can prolong the effect of increasing pressure for several hours.

Effect of coffee on blood pressure

Does coffee raise or lower blood pressure? It has long been known that coffee acts on blood pressure thanks to the caffeine in its composition. Caffeine, when released into the bloodstream, excites the nervous system. In this case, vasospasm occurs, and blood pressure automatically rises.
This effect on the body is due to the ability of caffeine to block adenosine. This biologically active substance, produced by the human body, is responsible for inhibition of vigor and sleep stimulation. As a result, the body is excited and the feeling of fatigue and drowsiness disappears. In addition to the effect on adenosine, adrenaline production is stimulated. Adrenaline further increases the effect of vivacity and activity.

Thus, drinking a cup of coffee triggers a whole cascade of chemical reactions in the body, forcing the body to work in an active mode.
However, the flip side of the coin is the increase in pressure and intense work of the heart. Does coffee increase blood pressure? Yes!

Regularities of the influence of a cafe on blood pressure

Research by scientists has shown that coffee affects a person's blood pressure in different ways. Experiments have revealed quite interesting patterns:

  • When healthy people drink coffee, variations in pressure are insignificant.
  • In people with hypertension, blood pressure can rise sharply and strongly to critical levels that threaten health.
  • 15% of people who drink coffee have even slightly decreased blood pressure.
  • With regular and prolonged use of coffee, the body adapts to caffeine and stops responding.

Pressure readings at which coffee drinking is not desirable

Arterial pressure Systolic pressure, mm Hg Diastolic pressure, mm Hg
norm
Optimal Less than 120 Less than 80
Normal Less than 130 Less than 85
Increased normal 130 — 139 85 — 89
hypertension
1st degree 140 — 159 90 — 99
2nd degree 160 — 179 100 — 109
Grade 3 Over 180 Over 110
Border 140 — 149 Less than 90
Isolated systolic hypertension More than 140 Less than 90

Drinking coffee for hypertensive patients

For people with high blood pressure, it is best to give up coffee, or at least cut down on the number of cups they drink throughout the day. Oddly enough, but to get rid of fatigue, most people prefer instant coffee, not natural. But it is ground natural coffee that works more gently. In addition, it has a more pleasant taste and aroma. The soluble analogue is significantly inferior in taste to the natural one, but at the same time it has a more pronounced effect.

  • In order not to harm your health, the daily dose of coffee should not exceed three cups (300 mg) per day.
  • It is best to drink coffee for people with normal or even low blood pressure.
  • It is advisable not to drink coffee before bedtime and in the evening. Especially it is impossible to drink coffee before going to bed for people suffering from insomnia. It is best to have a cup of coffee in the morning, before work and in the afternoon, in the afternoon to energize your body and improve your mental and physical activity.
  • The invigorating effect of coffee on a tired and needy body is not beneficial.

Coffee will give you a boost of vivacity, speed up blood circulation, which will positively affect your overall well-being and the ability to concentrate.