Just one cup of coffee a day does not increase the risk for people with high blood pressure, experts say.
A new Japanese scientific study shows that drinking two or more cups of coffee a day is associated with a doubling of the risk of death from cardiovascular disease in people with severe hypertension (blood pressure above 160/100) compared to those who do not drink coffee at all. The scientists were the first of their kind internationally to identify this correlation.
Just one cup of coffee a day does not increase the risk for people with high blood pressure, nor does daily green tea, although both coffee and tea contain caffeine. It is estimated that a cup of green or black tea contains 30 to 50 milligrams of caffeine, while a cup of coffee contains 80 to 100.
The benefits of green tea are mainly due to the polyphenols it contains, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
What the study showed
Researchers led by Professor Hiroyasu Iso from Osaka University and the National Center for Global Health and Medicine in Tokyo, who made a corresponding publication in the American medical journal “Journal of American Heart Association”, analyzed data on more than 18,600 men and women aged 40-79 years . For almost 20 years, 842 deaths of cardiovascular etiology have been registered.
Previous research has shown that one cup of coffee a day reduces the risk of dying after a heart attack and may also reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in healthy people.
However, other studies have shown that regular coffee consumption may reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, help control appetite, and reduce the risk of depression, although it is not clear if this is due to caffeine or other substances found in coffee. coffee. On the other hand, too much coffee a day can increase blood pressure, increase anxiety, provoke tachycardia (palpitations) and insomnia.
The American Scientific Association defines hypertension as blood pressure above 130/80. Its severe form is indicated by indicators above 160/100, and very severe – above 180/110.
“The results of our study suggest that people with severe hypertension should avoid excessive coffee consumption. Because these people are more vulnerable to the effects of caffeine, the harmful effects of which can outweigh its protective effect and increase the risk of death,” said Dr. Iso.
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