We often hear that coffee increases the risk of palpitations, but does it influence blood pressure?
Consumed regularly by 7 out of 10 French people, coffee gives a “boost” in the morning, reducing fatigue, stimulating alertness and improving concentration. It is also believed to have benefits on the nervous system and headaches. What about its effects on the heart and blood pressure?
“We often hear that coffee increases the risk of high blood pressure or palpitations. Indeed, it has been shown that caffeine can increase blood pressure the very first minutes after drinking coffee, but this increase is temporary and very short-lived. duration, immediately tells us Jeanne Vicaire, cardiology nurse. According to certain studies, including a Japanese study recently published on Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA)moderate coffee consumption could even be beneficial for blood pressure because caffeine is a natural vasodilator that helps fight stress thanks to its antioxidant effect. Regarding palpitations, moderate coffee consumption has been shown to have no influence on heart rate“Moreover, unsweetened coffee helps regulate blood sugar, improve insulin sensitivity and control appetite because it affects satiety.”All this helps reduce cardiovascular risk factors“.
On the other hand, excessive coffee consumption is problematic for blood pressure. “Consuming a large quantity of coffee increases blood cholesterol levels and impacts the quality of sleep and mood, which are risk factors for high blood pressure and therefore indirectly for other cardiovascular diseases. such as coronary heart disease or stroke“, continues our cardiology expert.
Coffee consumption is therefore not a problem if you limit yourself to 3-4 cups of coffee (espresso type) per day, or around 400 mg of caffeine for an adult. This is also what theEuropean Food Safety Authority and the French Society of Cardiology. “In pregnant or breastfeeding women, this dosage should not exceed 200 mg/day, therefore 1 large cup or 2 small ones because excessive caffeine consumption can cause a delay in the baby’s development.“, concludes Jeanne Vicaire.