Coffee might not just be a warm, wonderful wakeup… coffee health benefits may also include a beneficial effect on high blood pressure. Greek researchers have found that chemicals in coffee appear to help in retaining the elasticity of blood vessels that stiffen naturally as we get older. This stiffening increases the risk of high blood pressure, a condition directly related to life expectancy.
Coffee drinking and its effects on the body have been a hotly debated topic for many years. Earlier work on coffee and hypertension has brought conflicting results, though the Greek findings suggest that moderate coffee drinking may very well counteract the process of aging arteries.
The research involved 485 men and women, aged 65 to 100 years old, who live on Ikaria, an island in the Aegean Sea. This is a part of the world where more than a third of people live to celebrate their 90th birthday. The team, lead by Christina Chrysohoou, BSc of the University of Athens, was trying to uncover the secrets of longevity in this population. She presented her findings at the European Society of Cardiology Congress.
All the study subjects had imaging scans to measure the stiffness of their blood vessels, and all had high blood pressure. Of the total, 33% drank no coffee (or less than one cup of coffee/day), 56% drank one to two cups of coffee a day, and 11% drank three or more cups a day.
Those who drank one to two cups of coffee a day had an almost 25% greater elasticity in their major blood vessels than those who drank less coffee, or none at all. They were also less likely to have diabetes, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease or to be overweight.
But more was not any better. Coffee drinkers who consumed one to two cups a day had blood vessel elasticity that was almost five times greater than those subjects who drank three or more cups of coffee a day.
The analysis accounted for things that can affect blood vessel aging – your age, gender, smoking, education, physical activity, body weight, blood pressure, nutritional habits and diabetes.
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Fighting High Blood Pressure With Coffee..? Continued…
Understand that the subjects drank Greek coffee, considerably stronger and more caffeinated than espresso that was served in tiny, espresso sized cups. This type of coffee is loaded with compounds like flavonoids, magnesium, potassium, niacin and vitamin E in larger amounts than what the rest of the world drinks because it is unfiltered and boiled. These substances are credited for fighting blood vessel aging by blocking the damaging oxidation process and cutting harmful inflammation.
It’s also important to realize that the subjects in the study drank their coffee in social settings with friends or family… in a warm, relaxed atmosphere. The psychological benefits of socializing might also explain the coffee health benefits findings. Also, other aspects of the Greek lifestyle, such as the well known heart healthy Mediterranean diet, could also play a role. If you’re worried about your blood pressure, there are healthy heart habits you can take up today that will make a difference. You need to make healthy food choices, and limit how much alcohol you drink. Be sure you’re physically active as a regular part of your routine – a win-win that will help keep your heart strong and your weight under control.
