Coffee drinking and high blood pressure [research]

FOCUSED ON COFFEE AND HEALTH

Caffeine is the most widely used psychoactive substance in the world. Like many other psychoactive substances, it is legal and unregulated in every country in the world. It is a white, odourless crystalline substance or powder. Because of its liquefied nature and worldwide use, many studies have been conducted and different groups have obtained quite contradictory results.

Caffeinewas thought tobe a major source of antioxidants contributing up to 65% of the dietary supplement. Epidemiological studies have found that coffee consumption is associated with stress reduction and is useful in reducing morbidity in rheumatoid arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, ischemia, perfusion, ulcerative colitis, diabetes, neurodegenerative disease, and atherosclerosis.

DOES COFFEE RAISE BLOOD PRESSURE?

The psychoactive effects of caffeine are due to blockade of brain adenosine receptors. This relieves fatigue and stimulates the brain for better work or sports performance. It can raise systolic blood pressure by increasing angiotensin II and adrenaline. It can also increase heart rate by increasing catecholamine levels.

Caffeine increases systolic blood pressure by 17% and average arterial blood pressure by about 11%. Heart rate is also increased. The increase in systolic blood pressure was attributed to increased aortic stiffness and larger blood vessels rather than increased heartbeat volume. The increase in aortic stiffness is attributed to increased production of angiotensin II and catecholamines.

These changes may be attributed to inhibition of adenosine A2a receptor activity in blood vessel smooth muscle. A concomitant increase in renin release from the kidney due to direct stimulation by caffeine and similar activity on sympathetic ganglions releasing noradrenaline, contributing to increased vascular smooth muscle activity. In a study approved by the Institutional Human Ethics Committee and conducted under the guidelines of SVS Medical College, Mahabubnagar, an attempt was made to know the changes in heart rate and blood pressure after caffeine intake.

RESEARCH: HOW COFFEE CHANGES BLOOD PRESSURE AND HEART RATE

Forty healthy non-smoking male volunteers in the age group between 19-22 years and weighing 45-60 kg, who were not suffering from any heart or lung disease were recruited for this study . The participants were randomly divided into two groups. Twenty students were assigned to the control group and twenty to the test group.

All participants were instructed nottodrink coffee or tea at least four days before the test. Once in the laboratory, they were allowed to rest for 30 minutes. Blood pressure and heart rate were recorded for all subjects using a sphygmomanometer and heart rate monitor. Later, the test group was given caffeine 5 mg/kg body weight in gelatin capsules and placebo for the control group. They were advised to rest for 60 minutes.

TEST RESULTS: DOES COFFEE AFFECT HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?

Later, blood pressure and heart rate were recorded in both the test group and the control group. The ingested caffeine caused a significant increase in mean systolic blood pressure (60 minutes after ingestion) from 116.6 to 128.3 mmHg compared to placebo conditions. Mean heart rate increased from 72.9 to 77.3 Bpm in the test group. No change was observed in the control group.

Under resting conditions, caffeinewas shown to cause an increase in blood pressure and systemic vascular resistance. Caffeine may alter blood vessel stiffness and may be independent of changes in blood pressure. Arterial stiffness has also been shown to increase with caffeine, and the pressor effect of caffeine is on vascular resistance rather than heart rate increase.

In this study ,increases in heart rate and blood pressure values were noted with caffeine intake compared to placebo. This was explained on the basis of the multiple effects of caffeine.

COFFEE RAISES BLOOD PRESSURE AND MAY HELP REDUCE THE RISK OF HYPERTENSION

Research on the effects of caffeine on blood pressure has focused on theimmediate effect of coffee on raising blood pressure. Thus, cause and effect. In the long term ,drinking coffee could help reduce the risk of hypertension, a chronic increase in blood pressure. Arterial hypertension occurs in up to35% of adults aged 25-64 in the Czech Republic, and the risk increases with age.

A 2017 meta-analysis compared data from previous studies on the possible association between coffee consumption and hypertension risk. Its results suggest that one to two cups of coffee is not associated with hypertension risk. On the contrary, they found that from the third cup onwards , coffee provides some protective effect.

CAFFEINE SENSITIVITY

In general ,caffeine increases blood pressure. Along with caffeine, the concentration of other substances in the blood increases, such as adrenaline, which has a direct effect just on raising blood pressure. This increase in pressure after drinking a certain dose of caffeine in coffee varies not only from person to person, but also according to the habit of drinking coffee.

One cup of coffee can noticeably raise your blood pressure if you are sensitive to caffeine or if you avoid drinking coffee or don't drink it at all. The body's ability to process caffeine is determined by everyone's unique genetics. For simplicity, we could divide people, based on their genetic information, into slow and fast coffee metabolizers.

REGULAR COFFEE AND HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

In addition to this innate makeup of each of us, our tolerance to caffeine influences the effects of caffeine. Better said our body's tolerance to react to the active ingredients in coffee. We build up this tolerance with each successive cup of coffee. Basically, our body gets used to the presence of caffeine.

The first cup of coffee has been found to cause the expected rise in blood pressure in people with high blood pressure. With repeated cups of coffee, a gradual decrease in blood pressure values to normal levels was observed in these people. After about four days, the blood pressure of these people was still normal after drinking coffee, and the values of other substances that promote blood pressure increases had also stabilised.

DECAFFEINATED COFFEE DOES NOT CAUSE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

Of course, this toleranceis very individual. Generally speaking, how caffeine affects us is a matter of getting used to it. For a regular coffee drinker, after drinking the usual cup of coffee, the blood pressure does not rise significantly, almost not at all.

But as in everything, you need to drink coffee considerately for your health in the ideal amount, or rather reach for decaffeinated coffee. Such coffee carries with it certain health benefits like caffeinated coffee, but unlike it, it does not have such a caffeine effect on our body.

Sources:

AUGUSTÍN, Jozef. At coffee about coffee and coffee products. In Brno: Jota, 2016, 358 p. ISBN 978-80-7462-850-4.