Certain substances, such as caffeine, and various activities can influence your blood pressure. Decaffeinated coffee can contain 2 to 12 mg of caffeine per 8-oz. cup, while regular coffee can contain more than 200 mg of caffeine per 16-oz. cup. Caffeine may cause certain side effects in some individuals. If your blood pressure becomes a concern for you, speak to your health care provider about possibilities to regulate it.
Coffee
Coffee contains quite a bit of caffeine. Even decaffeinated coffee still has some caffeine in it. The amount of caffeine in coffee depends on the brand and whether it's regular or decaffeinated coffee. The amount of sugar you add to your cup of coffee can increase the amount of caffeine in your drink.
Caffeine and Blood Pressure
Caffeine has been studied for years, but the research has not yielded widely accepted conclusions. The American Heart Association and MayoClinic.com both note that caffeine consumption may temporarily affect those who have both regular and low blood pressure. Regularly consuming caffeine may cause you to have high blood pressure in general, but MayoClinic.com also states that those who consume caffeine regularly may develop a tolerance to the substance. If you develop a tolerance to caffeine, the substance may not have a long-term effect on your blood pressure. This is one of the reasons why caffeine research has yielded such diversity in theories and results.
How Much Can it Affect Blood Pressure?
Depending on how your body responds to the caffeine and how much you consume, it can increase your systolic number as much as 14 mm of mercury, or mmHg. Caffeine can increase your diastolic number as much as 13 mmHg. Your systolic number measures the amount, or force, of pressure when your heart contracts. The diastolic number is your heart's resting number. Of course, your blood pressure may respond differently.
Considerations
Since caffeine possesses the ability to affect your blood pressure, MayoClinic.com advises you to limit your caffeine consumption to no more than 200 mg per day. Your body may require much less; ask your doctor what's right for you. Avoid consuming caffeine prior to performing events that are known to increase blood pressure, such as exercising, strength training and playing sports or other physical activities. Do not consume caffeine if you begin to experience severe side effects, such as nervousness, unsteadiness, anxiety or restlessness.
