COFFEE AND HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

It is so easy to associate something with negativity and relate the causes of many diseases with them. The stigma attached to coffee consumption has been carried forward in all medical related conditions. Just because it has been found that the caffeine content in coffee is harmful for some having specific health problems, the general purview is that it is bad for high blood pressure also. But is it so?

Is coffee bad or good for blood pressure?

This controversy is as interesting as the unending argument of what came first - the chicken or the egg. People feel that caffeine is the main perpetrator of high blood pressure and thus 2 to 3 cups of coffee is enough to trigger off the systolic pressure to the brink of danger. This is untrue as several foods that you consume contain caffeine such as chocolates, tea and soft drinks and it has not yet been proved that coffee is the main cause of high blood pressure.

Studies that have been conducted state that those who have regular caffeine are known to have higher blood pressure than those who do not. On the other hand it has again been proven that if you are a regular caffeine person then you develop more tolerance. It is a very debatable issue as till now it has not been known what causes the blood pressure to rise. Some studies have suggested that caffeine can reduce the effectiveness of some hormones which are responsible for keeping the vessels open. It has also been found that caffeine can stimulate your adrenal gland to produce excess adrenaline and cortisol and increase the blood pressure.

What is the true theory?

Various studies with varied results have left everyone baffled as to the true theory of coffee and high blood pressure relation. Some have even gone on to suggest that drinking colas with caffeine content increases your blood pressure while coffee which has caffeine lowers the dangers of high blood pressure. However, you should not consume caffeine before you commence any physical activity as the exercise and caffeine can both aggravate your blood pressure levels.

More discrepancies

Caffeine is found in many weight loss drugs and painkillers. Yet the argument is that coffee speeds up the calcium excretion in your body which in turn raises the blood pressure. Those women who have acute deficiency of calcium in their body have been found to lose more calcium due to the increased excretion which causes high blood pressure. Another study showed that women who drank more coffee were less likely to have high blood pressure than those who drank more sodas with caffeine in it. Studies have also shown that if you restrict your caffeine content it does not help reduce your high blood pressure.

Conclusion

Since all the theories are so argumentative, and in the absence of any sound results, you can go ahead and have your coffee without any fear, but be sure to follow your diet and physical exercise regime.