Does Coffee Raise Your Blood Pressure?
Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. In fact, we consume an average of 19 billion pounds of coffee every year (via Healthline). Whether served iced or hot, many people across the globe drink coffee to help jumpstart their days. Despite the drink's popularity, there is continuing debate on the pros and cons of regular coffee consumption. One question that health experts raise: Does coffee have a negative impact on blood pressure?
Drinking coffee may temporarily increase your blood pressure shortly after consumption. After reviewing 34 scientific studies on the impact of caffeine on blood pressure, a report found that drinking 1.5 to 2 cups of coffee per day can raise your systolic blood pressure by 8 millimeters of mercury and your diastolic blood pressure by 6 millimeters of mercury. However, this slight increase only lasts for up to three hours after consumption and is more likely to affect those who drink coffee pretty infrequently (via Healthline).
What are the long-term effects of regular coffee consumption?
However, regular coffee consumption is not likely to cause any long-term problems with your blood pressure, according to GoodRx Health. And a 2018 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry asserts that drinking three to five cups of coffee every day is linked to a 15% risk reduction of heart disease and death.
That's because coffee is full of vitamins and powerful antioxidants known as polyphenols, which can help promote heart health by reducing oxidative stress and fighting off disease-carrying free radicals (via Verywell Health). These polyphenols can help protect your cells from damage and reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer, and they can also lower the number of activated platelets in your bloodstream, which can help prevent stroke-inducing blood clots from forming.
Furthermore, polyphenols can help reduce the level of C-reactive protein (CRP) in your body. Your CRP levels increase when there's inflammation in your body. Lowering your CRP levels, however, can help reduce inflammation and decrease your risk of heart disease and heart attack, according to Verywell Health.