Is There Any Evidence That Caffeine Raises Blood Pressure?
Q: Is there any evidence that caffeine raises blood pressure?
A: If you do not have high blood pressure or heart disease, there is little evidence that drinking coffee will affect you. Several studies have shown no association between drinking coffee (up to six cups per day) and sustained high blood pressure or heart attacks (JAMA, February 14, 1996; American Journal of Epidemiology, January 15, 1999; Hypertension, July 2000).
If you have high blood pressure, you may want to limit your caffeine intake. Caffeine can raise blood pressure slightly and temporarily in people with normal blood pressures and more so in people with high blood pressure, but there is little evidence caffeine causes sustained high blood pressure or heart attacks (European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, June 2007).
Coffee and tea may be good for you because they contain polyphenols, which help protect against high blood pressure and heart attacks by preventing blood clots and lowering C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation (Atherosclerosis, August 2007).
A practicing physician for more than 40 years and a radio talk show host for 25, Dr. Mirkin is a graduate of Harvard University and Baylor University College of Medicine. He is one of a very few doctors board-certified in four specialties: Sports Medicine, Allergy and Immunology, Pediatrics and Pediatric Immunology.
Read more at www.drmirkin.com.
Email this Article
Comments
high blood pressure causes news
For me the answer is really about the diuretic properties of coffee. It strips my body of good nutrients that I need. I urinate too much and I need to replace the water I loose. I also think we don't need to be stimulated so much.
Post new comment