Effects of caffeine on blood pressure

Facts about Caffeine

Most of us have probably heard about the negative effects of caffeine. Caffeine is the name of a chemical found mainly in coffee and herbal teas. For quite some time now, people have analyzed this substance and concluded that it is responsible for a sudden rise of blood pressure which affects some people about 30 minutes after drinking a beverage containing caffeine. Taking into consideration that a cup of tea has about 50mg of caffeine while a cup of coffee can have up to 200mg, the effect can vary accordingly. Nevertheless, it has not yet been proven how caffeine is capable of increasing our blood pressure. However, scientists think that it blocks a special hormone which is supposed to make our blood vessels wider. Also, caffeine is known to trigger adrenaline and cortisol production in our body, thereby affecting our blood pressure as well.

Either way, caffeine is a stimulant, since the changes it brings are not permanent but, can disappear at the same time our body flushes the chemical out. Still, you need to be careful, since too much caffeine may cause you trouble, elevating your blood pressure to dangerous levels. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others. So, it is best to check your blood pressure about half an hour after drinking a cup of coffee, to see if your blood pressure is higher than normal.

Caffeine and Blood Pressure

Besides the above mentioned effects upon your organism, caffeine can make you stiff. Luckily, this, and all the other effects of caffeine are not permanent and disappear shortly, making it far less dangerous. Regardless, people who enjoy coffee regularly tend to have a constantly elevated blood pressure. This situation may be dangerous in the long run.

Interestingly, caffeine has a different effect upon men and women. With men, it increases blood pressure by affecting the blood vessels directly, while, with women, it affects the heart.

Yet, coffee, tea and other caffeinated beverages all have several health benefits too. Moreover, some people may experience lower blood pressure after drinking something with caffeine, as certain conducted tests showed. All in all coffee and caffeine both remain a mystery since it seems that their effect can only vary from one individual to another, being, at the same time, good for some, while dangerous, or even deadly for the others.