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Coffee, Good or Bad for the Blood Pressure?
Caffeine, Good or Bad for the Blood Pressure? This is another one of those “is it or isn’t it” issues that probably by and large depends on a whole variety of associated issues but as it is one of the most regular of all of our queries I thought I would go ahead and try and provide some form of opinion.
Firstly from my own point of view, I have just started drinking Coffee again after an absence of about 15 years and thought that while I was undergoing a review of my medication for High Blood Pressure that I would see whether I could resume my on/off love affair with Caffeine.
To be honest the jury is still out as far as I am concerned in that yes there are the positives of being able to sit down every now and then with a hot cup of coffee and savour the rich and glorious aroma of freshly ground coffee but there is the down side also. For my part this is now a recurrence of the headaches that made me give up drinking the stuff in the first place and then there is the caffeine “hit” that has now started to resemble a punch!
It is probably best to try and understand the chemistry behind Coffee and the human being before you start to make what comes remotely close to a definitive pronouncement of whether Coffee is good or bad for you. How does Coffee manage to have this sort of effect that one minute has legions of aficionados claiming it to be the “nectar of the gods” and the next minute claiming it to be the “juice of the devil!”
The famous Native American hero, Chief Crazy Horse is widely acclaimed to have made the following statement about Coffee. “If the Great Spirit has something better than coffee, he keeps it for himself.” Now it is a medical fact that Caffeine increases blood pressure. For those with normal blood pressure this is not a problem. For those with an already increased blood pressure then this can be an issue that causes further problems.
The whole situation is further complicated by the fact that Caffeine is such a widely available substance by which I mean that it is present in a great many different beverages and drinks and also in a wide variety of freely obtainable over the counter (OTC) medicines such as certain types of Painkillers, weight loss drugs and various cold remedies.
The other side issue with the consumption of Coffee is that coffee increases the excretion of calcium which in turn tends to compound the whole “High Blood Pressure Cycle” by further acting as another cause of increased Blood Pressure.
As far as Women are concerned, the Calcium loss can have a further side effect and this is especially the case with regards to Woman who already have issues with a calcium deficiency. Because Coffee acts as a diuretic as has been mentioned above this further loss of calcium is aggravated via increased excretion. For those who already suffer from Osteoporosis, studies have shown that the diuretic qualities of Coffee can be an issue.
And the conclusion to all of this?
I’m afraid it is the same with Coffee as with most things, there is a lot to be said of the old saying that “a little bit of what you fancy does you good” but in this case it really does mean a little.
About the Author: More information on the above can be found at
http://www.livingwithhighbloodpressure.net/features/coffee_good_or_bad_for_high_blood_pressure.html
where Stephen Morgan is principle Editor and also at
http://www.highbloodpressure.name/features/coffee_and_high_blood_pressure_friend_or_foe.html
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