The Effects of Coffee And Caffeine Intake On Blood Pressure Part 2
Coffee is amongst the most widely used non-alcoholic beverages in the western world.
Caffeine is an important component of this beverage.
For example a 150ml cup of coffee contains about 60 to 120mg of caffeine.
Due to the fact that coffee and other caffeine containing beverages are widely consumed on a daily basis it is important to define the possible risks and benefits associated with caffeine intake.
This information is important for both public and health professionals to know.
There are other dietary sources of caffeine.
These are tea and cola soft drinks.
The caffeine content in tea is about 20 to 40mg per 150ml cup and that in cola soft drinks ranges from 15 to 24mg per 180ml.
Nordic countries are well known to be top coffee consumers in the world.
In Denmark, for example, the mean daily caffeine intake is approximately 7mg per Kg.
Apart from this beverage use, caffeine is also used as an adjuvant in many prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
For example, it is used in combination with non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in analgesic formulations and with ergotamine in drugs for treating migraine.
Caffeine exerts a variety of stimulatory effects upon the central nervous system.
Caffeine is probably the most widely used psychoactive substance.
It produces a variety of adverse effects including gastrointestinal disturbances, tremor, headache and insomnia.
The pressor effects of acute caffeine intake is stronger in persons who do not normally consume caffeine than in habitual users of caffeine.
The effects of repeated caffeine intake have also been studied in controlled studies using continuous ambulatory monitoring to measure BP.
The failure to detect an increase in BP caused by repeated administration of caffeine may be due to the development of tolerance.
In fact this is a point of significant debate in the medical community.
Some still believe that there is no tolerance that develops due to continued caffeine intake.
Studies have noted that changing from caffeinated to decaffeinated coffee or abstinence from coffee resulted in a slight fall in BP.
Yet on the other hand credible studies reported that chronic caffeine consumption or abstinence from caffeine were not accompanied by significant changes in BP.
In one double blind trial overweight obese patients were observed to have reduced blood pressure during an energy-restricted diet combined with caffeine for six months.
It appears as though no concrete resolution will be reached on the actual effects of caffeine consumption on BP apart from what is loosely agreed that at least it has an elevating effect on BP.
In terms of the long term effects of caffeine consumption on BP no agreement exists amongst doctors.
Caffeine is an important component of this beverage.
For example a 150ml cup of coffee contains about 60 to 120mg of caffeine.
Due to the fact that coffee and other caffeine containing beverages are widely consumed on a daily basis it is important to define the possible risks and benefits associated with caffeine intake.
This information is important for both public and health professionals to know.
There are other dietary sources of caffeine.
These are tea and cola soft drinks.
The caffeine content in tea is about 20 to 40mg per 150ml cup and that in cola soft drinks ranges from 15 to 24mg per 180ml.
Nordic countries are well known to be top coffee consumers in the world.
In Denmark, for example, the mean daily caffeine intake is approximately 7mg per Kg.
Apart from this beverage use, caffeine is also used as an adjuvant in many prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
For example, it is used in combination with non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in analgesic formulations and with ergotamine in drugs for treating migraine.
Caffeine exerts a variety of stimulatory effects upon the central nervous system.
Caffeine is probably the most widely used psychoactive substance.
It produces a variety of adverse effects including gastrointestinal disturbances, tremor, headache and insomnia.
The pressor effects of acute caffeine intake is stronger in persons who do not normally consume caffeine than in habitual users of caffeine.
The effects of repeated caffeine intake have also been studied in controlled studies using continuous ambulatory monitoring to measure BP.
The failure to detect an increase in BP caused by repeated administration of caffeine may be due to the development of tolerance.
In fact this is a point of significant debate in the medical community.
Some still believe that there is no tolerance that develops due to continued caffeine intake.
Studies have noted that changing from caffeinated to decaffeinated coffee or abstinence from coffee resulted in a slight fall in BP.
Yet on the other hand credible studies reported that chronic caffeine consumption or abstinence from caffeine were not accompanied by significant changes in BP.
In one double blind trial overweight obese patients were observed to have reduced blood pressure during an energy-restricted diet combined with caffeine for six months.
It appears as though no concrete resolution will be reached on the actual effects of caffeine consumption on BP apart from what is loosely agreed that at least it has an elevating effect on BP.
In terms of the long term effects of caffeine consumption on BP no agreement exists amongst doctors.