About 50 percent of all Americans drink some form of coffee, according to the website E-Importz.com. In fact, the average American drinks 3.1 cups of coffee each day. Coffee, though obviously a very common drink, contains a drug -- caffeine. And this drug does affect your body, including your blood pressure.
What is Coffee?
Coffee is a drink brewed from the coffee bean. It contains a drug known as caffeine. This drug is a stimulant, increasing your mental focus and alertness. In safe doses, caffeine can help wake you up and increase your thinking ability. In large doses, caffeine invokes a stress response that can be physiologically and mentally unhealthy.
Coffee and Blood Pressure
Coffee does raise your blood pressure. Consuming just two to three cups of coffee can raise your systolic blood pressure by 3 to 14 mmHg and your diastolic pressure by 4 to 13 mmHg.
Mechanism
Coffee may work in two ways to increase your blood pressure. One theory is that coffee blocks a hormone that widens your arteries. This causes vasoconstriction, which elevates your blood pressure. The other theory proposed by means of a study conducted by Duke University in 1999 states that coffee intake raises two stress hormones, adrenaline and noradrenalin, which may account for the spike in blood pressure. This increase is hard on the heart and, over time, may lead to permanent damage.
Recommendations
Limiting the amount of coffee and caffeine you consume each day can reduce the effect it has on your cardiovascular system. In essence, you should limit your consumption to two 12-oz. cups of coffee per day, at most. There is some concern over individuals who have already been diagnosed with high blood pressure. If you have received a hypertension diagnosis, speak with your doctor concerning the safety of coffee drinking for you.
References
- E-Importz.com: Coffee Statistics
- MayoClinic.com; Caffeine: How Does it Affect Blood Pressure?; Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.; Nov. 14, 2009
- ScienceDaily; Morning Coffee Boosts Blood Pressure, Stress Hormones All Day; March 1999
- "Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies"; Frances Sizer and Eleanor Whitney; 2004.
