Coffee supports heart health by maintaining low blood pressure
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted March 1, 2023
When you’re a coffee drinker, you put up with a lot of well-meaning folks trying to “save you” from your “bad” habit.
Much of the advice revolves around protecting your heart and avoiding high blood pressure. (More on this in a moment).
But there’s plenty of research highlighting the BENEFITS of drinking coffee. It boosts your brain health… improves your mood… fights diabetes… and even slashes your risk of colon cancer.
Now researchers have uncovered yet another benefit.
And this one is going to surprise a LOT of folks.
If you’re a coffee drinker, I’m willing to bet you’ve been told (likely more than once) that you need to give it up or else risk having high blood pressure (BP).
Many folks—including far too many doctors—believe this connection. Faulty research from years ago is to blame.
For that study, researchers had volunteers drink coffee while monitoring their blood pressure. And, sure enough, their BP increased after drinking a cup of joe.
It was declared that coffee sends blood pressure soaring. And the idea stuck.
But there was just one problem. The study participants weren’t regular coffee drinkers. So, of course, their blood pressure shot up.
It took YEARS for another research team to test REGULAR coffee drinkers. Unsurprisingly, when the java fans downed a cup of joe, it didn’t send their blood pressure soaring.
But now, a new study published in the journal Nutrients didn’t just confirm that regular coffee drinking doesn’t cause high blood pressure. It can literally help maintain LOW BP.
Researchers looked at a sample of 720 men and 783 women from the Brisighella Heart Study. Blood pressure and coffee drinking habits were compared.
They found that participants who drank one to three cups of coffee daily had significantly lower blood pressure than non-coffee drinkers.
The most likely reason for these benefits is the bioactive compounds found in coffee. Coffee is packed full of powerful phytochemicals that are natural antioxidants.
Those include polyphenols, flavonoids, catechins, tannins, and other nutrients that support your cardiovascular system and keep it functioning at the top of its game.
Now, of course, you CAN have too much of a good thing. People who rely on coffee to stay alert, drinking five or even 10 cups daily, can end up with sleep disruptions and anxiety.
So keep your java habit moderate. And feel free to join me in an eye roll the next time someone insists drinking coffee increases blood pressure.
P.S. I get asked all the time which coffee roasting method produces the most health benefits… light or dark. CLICK HERE to find out the surprising answer.
Source:
Self-Reported Coffee Consumption and Central and Peripheral Blood Pressure in the Cohort of the Brisighella Heart Study. Nutrients. 2023; 15(2):312. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15020312
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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