A new study finds that coffee could actually be good for hypertension.
For many Americans, coffee is thought of as a life-giving, day-brightening, necessary component to your morning. Nobody can deny that it gives you plenty of energy, and can even make you feel jittery if you drink too much.
The idea that coffee raises blood pressure is widely accepted, however a new study shows that there are compounds in coffee that can actually lower your blood pressure.
In the Brisighella Heart Study, it was found that for people with hypertension, 2 cups of coffee per day can actually lower your blood pressure. Caffeine itself can either raise or lower your blood pressure depending on various factors, however coffee also contains antioxidants and various compounds.
One such compound (chlorogenic acid) was found to lower systolic blood pressure in rats. Coffee also contains quercetin, which may also play a part.
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The idea here is that while caffeine may raise blood pressure, other bioactive compounds like chlorogenic acid and quercetin counteract it. It is also thought that while coffee might raise your blood pressure in the moment, the long term effects actually lower your blood pressure overall.
Thus for people with hypertension, moderate coffee consumption can actually help.