During my 20 years as a practicing cardiologist, many patients have asked about coffee. They desperately want to continue their favorite beverage and morning ritual.
And I always have good news for them...drink away.
But quality coffee is paramount, and we will talk about that in a little bit.
Back to blood pressure and the good news about coffee.
Just about every study looking at coffee and blood pressure shows a significant benefit to caffeinated coffee drinkers.
A 2016 study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found coffee drinkers had lower blood pressure. The sweet spot was 3-4 cups per day in this study.
In 2018, researchers found that coffee consumption at 3 or more cups per day was linked to lower blood pressure versus those who drank only 1 cup per day. Another study in 2019 found similar beneficial results on lowering blood pressure with coffee consumption.
What about decaf?
Decaffeinated coffee preserves many of the antioxidants and minerals found in the caffeinated version. In a study looking at “regular vs. unleaded” coffee , there was not much difference in blood pressure response between the two.
Remember, studies look at groups of people. But you are an individual and your response is unique to you. If you think coffee may be increasing your blood pressure, consider stopping for a couple weeks or switching to decaf and see how you do. For others, stopping coffee is a deal breaker and we need other strategies.
The best coffee
If you drink coffee like I do, make sure it is organic and tested for mold mycotoxins. Let’s keep the chemicals out of our coffee for our best blood pressure ever.
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Definitely an interesting post!