Does coffee raise 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?
How much caffeine can you drink a day?
The FDA recommends that adults don’t 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.
Are there any long-term effects?
Since coffee is a beverage that people drink on a daily basis and it does raise your blood pressure in the short term, the question of if there are any long-term effects of drinking coffee is a legitimate concern. The results are conflicting. Some evidence suggests that drinking coffee regularly does not have a long-term impact on your blood pressure, nor does it appear to increase your risk of cardiovascular health problems.
Other evidence suggests negative reactions to caffeine like caffeine withdrawal, rapid heartbeat, anxiety, or jitteriness. If you’re considering drinking coffee every day, it’s important to do so in moderation, and figure out what works the best for you, your body and your lifestyle. One way to consume coffee in a healthy way is to never drink it on an empty stomach, before having your morning coffee, you should have at least a small meal. In case of gastrointestinal distress, an option is to add collagen protein into your coffee.
Staying on top of your health
Monitoring your blood pressure is important to ensure that your heart is healthy, whether you regularly drink coffee or not. With QardioArm, you can monitor your blood pressure wherever and whenever. It is completely wireless and connects to a state-of-the-art app. QardioArm is ideal for anyone looking for an efficient, practical way to monitor their blood pressure.
Contributed by Daniel Spielberger
