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Coffee and pressure
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Many of us have got used to drink in the morning a cup or two of fragrant freshly brewed coffee. This unique drink makes us wake up, gives strength and energy, adjusts for a new day. For most people, the morning without a cup of coffee becomes some kind of inferior, incomplete. However, many coffee lovers are often disturbed by the numerous myths and prohibitions that hang around an ordinary cup of coffee: coffee and pressure, heart, blood vessels. Is coffee as terrible as it is "painted"? How does coffee affect the pressure and can it be used by hypertensives? We will talk about all this in this topic.
Does coffee raise or lower the pressure?
The fact that caffeine increases blood pressure is known for a long time: there have been quite a lot of studies on this topic. For example, a few years ago, the specialists of the medical-prophylactic chair of the University of Madrid of the University of Madrid conducted an experiment that determines 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 index of blood pressure by 8.1 mm Hg. And the diastolic index is 5.7 mm Hg. Art. Increased pressure is observed during the first 60 minutes after consuming caffeine and can be held for about 3 hours. The experiment was conducted on healthy people who do not suffer from hypertension, hypotension or cardiovascular pathologies.
However, almost all specialists are unequivocally convinced that in order to make sure of the "harmlessness" of caffeine, long-term studies are needed that will allow us to observe the use of coffee for several years and even decades. Only such studies will allow to state with accuracy the positive or negative effects of caffeine on pressure and the organism as a whole.
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How does coffee affect the pressure?
The next studies were conducted by Italian specialists. They allocated 20 volunteers, who each morning had to drink an espresso cup. According to the results, an espresso cup lowers the coronary blood flow by about 20% for 60 minutes after ingestion. If initially there are any problems with the heart, the use of just one cup of strong coffee can cause heart pain and peripheral circulation disorders. Of course, if the heart is completely healthy, then a person may not have a negative impact.
The same applies to the effect of coffee on pressure.
Coffee under reduced pressure is able to stabilize the performance and bring the reduced pressure back to normal. Another thing is that coffee causes some dependence, so a hypotonic person drinking coffee in the morning to increase blood pressure may eventually need larger and larger doses of the drink. And this can already affect the condition of the cardiovascular system.
Coffee at high pressure is most harmful. Why? The fact is that with hypertension there is already an increased stress on the heart and blood vessels, and the use of coffee aggravates this condition. In addition, a slight increase in pressure after drinking coffee can "spur" and start a mechanism to increase the pressure in the body, which will significantly affect the performance. The system of regulation of pressure in hypertensive patients is in a "cranky" state, and the use of a cup-two flavored drinks can be triggered by a rise in pressure.
People with stable pressure can not be afraid of drinking coffee. Of course, within reasonable limits. Two or three cups of freshly brewed natural coffee per day will not harm, but experts do not recommend drinking soluble or surrogate coffee, and also consume it more than 5 cups a day, as this can lead to depletion of nerve cells and the emergence of a constant sense of fatigue.
Does coffee increase pressure?
Coffee belongs to 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 leafy parts of plants. However, most people get this substance with tea or coffee, as well as with cola or chocolate.
The massive use of coffee and was the cause of all sorts of studies that were conducted to study the effect of coffee on blood pressure.
Coffee stimulates the central nervous system, so it is often used for fatigue, lack of sleep, and to improve mental activity. However, large concentrations of caffeine in the bloodstream can lead to vascular spasms, which in turn will affect the increase in blood pressure.
The endogenous nucleoside adenosine is synthesized in the central nervous system, which is responsible for the normal process of falling asleep, a 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 be awake for many days in a row, and subsequently would simply fall down from exhaustion and exhaustion. This substance determines the person's need for rest and pushes the body to sleep and restore strength.
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 adrenaline hormone production by the adrenal glands, which also favors increased blood pressure.
Based on this, many scientists 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 the latest experiments, the degree of BP increase with regular use of the drink in a healthy person is very slow, but in a person prone to hypertension this process proceeds more quickly. Thus, if a person has a tendency to increase the pressure, then coffee can contribute to this increase. True, some scientists say that to develop a tendency to increase the pressure should drink more than 2 cups of coffee a day.
Does the pressure of coffee lower?
Let's return to the results of studies conducted by world experts. We have already said that the degree of increase in pressure after caffeine intake in healthy people is less pronounced than in hypertensive patients. But these indicators, as a rule, are uncritical and last not for a long time. In addition, as a result of all the same studies, data have been obtained that scientists still can not intelligibly explain: in 15% of subjects suffering from a regular increase in blood pressure, when using 2 cups of coffee per day, the pressure drops.
How do specialists explain this?
- The ratio of coffee and pressure is actually much more complicated than it seemed before. It is proved that the constant and prolonged use of various doses of caffeine develops a certain degree of dependence (insensitivity) to coffee, which can reduce the degree of its effect on blood pressure. Some experiments suggest that people who do not drink coffee are less likely to develop hypertension. Other studies demonstrate the fact that those who drink coffee constantly but moderately have a reduced risk. Their body "gets used to" caffeine and ceases to react to it, as a source of increased pressure.
- The effect of coffee on blood pressure individually, and can depend on the presence or absence of disease, on the type of nervous system and the genetic characteristics of the body. It's not a secret that some genes in our body are responsible for the speed and degree of caffeine splitting in the human body. For some, this process is quick, and for some, it is slow. For this reason, in some people, even one cup of coffee can cause a rise in pressure, while others will be harmless and have a much larger volume of drink.
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Why does coffee increase pressure?
Experimental experiments, during which measurements of the activity of electrical impulses of the brain, showed that the consumption of 200-300 ml of coffee has a significant effect on the degree of brain activity, leading it from a calm state to a highly active state. Because of this property, caffeine is often called a "psychotropic" drug.
Coffee affects brain function, inhibiting the production of adenosine, which, among other things, helps transfer nerve impulses along the nerve fibers. As a result, the calming ability of adenosine does not leave a trace: the neurons are quickly and permanently excited, stimulated until exhaustion.
Simultaneously with these processes, there is an effect on the adrenal cortex, which causes an increase in the blood flow of the amount of "stress hormones." These are adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine. These substances are usually produced if the person is in an anxious, nervous or frightened state. As a result, there is an additional stimulation of brain activity, which sooner or later leads to acceleration of cardiac activity, increased blood circulation and spasms of peripheral vessels and cerebral vessels. The result - increased motor activity, psychomotor agitation and increased blood pressure.
Green coffee and pressure
Green coffee beans are actively used in medicine as a means of stimulating metabolism, stabilizing the level of sugar, activating the central nervous system. Of course, like ordinary coffee, green grains require compliance, otherwise the abuse of green coffee can affect the work of many body systems.
It has been experimentally proved that 2-3 cups of green coffee a day reduce the likelihood of oncological diseases, obesity, type II diabetes, as well as problems with capillaries.
How does green coffee and pressure compare?
Green coffee contains the same caffeine as in roasted black coffee beans. For this reason, green coffee is advised to drink to people who do not have problems with pressure, or hypotonic people - people with a tendency to lowered pressure.
Under reduced pressure, green coffee can produce such effects:
- stabilize the condition of the coronary vessels;
- to balance the cerebral vascular system;
- stimulate the respiratory and motor centers;
- normalize the vasculature of skeletal musculature;
- stimulate heart activity;
- to accelerate blood circulation.
There is no confirmed fact that green coffee lowers the pressure. Doctors unequivocally assert: to persons with II and III st. Hypertensive disease, the use of coffee, including green, is highly undesirable.
In all other people, the use of green coffee within reasonable limits should not cause a significant increase in blood pressure. However, one should not forget that the abuse of the drink and the regular excess of the permissible dosages can lead to vascular spasms in the brain, increased blood pressure and serious malfunctions of the heart and brain functions.
As shown by systematic observations, every fifth person who drinks coffee, there is an increase in pressure. However, the exact mechanism of this increase has not yet been thoroughly studied.
Caffeine sodium benzoate boosts blood pressure?
Caffeine-sodium benzoate is a psycho-stimulating drug, almost completely analogous to caffeine. As a rule, it is used to stimulate the central nervous system, with narcotic intoxications, etc., diseases that require the excitation of the vasomotor and respiratory centers.
Sure, caffeine-sodium benzoate raises blood pressure, as does ordinary caffeine. It can also cause the "addictive" effect, sleep disorder and general agitation.
Caffeine-benzoate sodium is not used with a steady rise in blood pressure, with increased intraocular pressure, atherosclerosis and sleep disorders.
The effect of the drug on the pressure indices is determined by the dosage of this psychostimulant, and also by the initial values of the arterial pressure.
Coffee with milk increases the pressure?
To assert about the positive or negative effect of coffee with the addition of milk on the body is very difficult. Most likely, the crux of the matter is not so much in a drink as in its quantity. If the use of any coffee drink, even milk, will be moderate, then any risks will be minimal.
The fact that caffeine can help increase blood pressure is proven. As for milk, this is a controversial issue. Many experts are inclined to the opinion that adding milk to coffee can lower the concentration of caffeine, but it will not be able to neutralize it completely. Therefore it is recommended to drink coffee with milk, but again in reasonable limits: no more than 2-3 cups a day. In addition, the presence of a dairy product in coffee can make up calcium loss, which is very important, especially for the elderly.
It can be confidently confirmed: it is possible that coffee with milk raises pressure, but, as a rule, is insignificant. Up to 3 cups of not strong coffee with milk is allowed to be consumed by any person.
Decaffeinated coffee increases blood pressure?
Coffee without caffeine - it would seem, an excellent way out for those who do not recommend regular coffee. But is it really that simple?
The difficulty is that "decaffeinated coffee" is not exactly the right name for the drink. It would be more correct to say "coffee with less caffeine". The production of such coffee allows the content of an undesirable alkaloid in an amount of more than 3 mg. In fact, one cup of soluble decaffeinated beverage still contains up to 14 mg of caffeine, and in a cup of caffeinated coffee "without caffeine" - up to 13.5 mg. And what will happen if a hypertensive patient, being sure that he drinks decaffeinated coffee, will use 6-7 cups of drink? But this amount of caffeine can already affect the body.
While the technological subtleties of the process of decaffeination of coffee are not perfect, experts advise not to lean on such a drink: in addition to low doses of caffeine, this coffee contains harmful impurities remaining from the reactions of cleansing the drink from caffeine, as well as more fat than in ordinary coffee. And the taste, as they say, "to the lover."
If you really want coffee, then drink the usual black, but natural, not soluble. And do not overdo it: one cup, you can with milk, is unlikely to bring much harm. Or really at all go to chicory: here certainly there is no caffeine.
Coffee with intracranial pressure
Caffeine is contraindicated with increased intraocular and intracranial pressure.
The most common cause of increased intracranial pressure is spasm of cerebral vessels. And caffeine, as we said above, can only exacerbate these spasms, which will greatly complicate the blood circulation and worsen the patient's condition.
With increased intracranial pressure, you should drink drinks and drugs that expand the lumen of blood vessels, improve blood circulation, which can alleviate symptoms and, in particular, headache.
Experimenting with the use of coffee with intracranial pressure should not: you should drink drinks and food, only being in full confidence that they will not harm you.
What coffee boosts pressure?
What coffee boosts pressure? In principle, this can be attributed to any type of coffee: the usual soluble or ground, green, and even decaffeinated coffee, if consumed without measure.
A healthy person who moderately consumes coffee can get a lot of benefits from this drink:
- stimulation of metabolic processes;
- reduction of risk of type II diabetes and oncological diseases;
- improvement of the function of the sense organs, concentration of attention, memory;
- increase mental and physical performance.
With a tendency to increased blood pressure, and especially with diagnosed hypertension, coffee should be used several times more accurately: no more than 2 cups a day, not strong, only natural ground, with milk and not on an empty stomach.
And more: try not to drink coffee every day, sometimes replacing it with other drinks.
The use of coffee and pressure can exist together, if the mind is approached to this issue, not abusing and observing the measure. But, in any case, with a marked increase in blood pressure, before you pour a cup of coffee, seek advice from a doctor.
Attention!
To simplify the perception of information, this instruction for use of the drug "Coffee and pressure" translated and presented in a special form on the basis of the official instructions for medical use of the drug. Before use read the annotation that came directly to medicines.
Description provided for informational purposes and is not a guide to self-healing. The need for this drug, the purpose of the treatment regimen, methods and dose of the drug is determined solely by the attending physician. Self-medication is dangerous for your health.