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The Facts About Caffeine And High Blood Pressure
by Jim Bruce
Getting a handle on the dangers of caffeine and high blood pressure, you will find that many physicians liken the combination of these two to that of a lit match and a can of gasoline. The two should be kept as far apart as possible for good health and a long life. However, some researchers propose that since caffeine only causes a temporary increase in blood pressure, it does not necessarily have to be eliminated from your diet completely.
Caffeine can be found in numerous carbonated beverages and other drinks, not just coffee. Nowadays, even some foods contain caffeine. If your doctor suggests reducing or eliminating caffeine from your diet, all other drinks and foods in which it is found will also have to be removed. Caffeine and high blood pressure, as most physicians believe, just simply do not go together as this chemical definitely aggravates the condition.
While there is no proven link that caffeine is a cause of high blood pressure, if you have an elevated blood pressure (also known as hypertension), it may be wise to reduce your caffeine intake. The temporary spike in blood pressure from caffeine use can even be dangerous to a person with high blood pressure.
There may even be a few people who have developed a tolerance for caffeine and high blood pressure, thus are not affected by it. Even in such cases, it is best to heed the advice from your doctor before resuming the consumption an unregulated supply.
Getting the Coffee Taste Without the Caffeine Kick
For those people who lack the will power and simply are not able to go without their cup of morning brew, decaffeinated versions of coffee, tea and soft drinks can be found easily. Some people enjoy the taste of coffee but even without having high blood pressure, they do not appreciate the temporary boost that comes from caffeine. Regardless of whether you have hypertension or not, caffeine and high blood pressure do not go well together.
If you have a pre-hypertension blood pressure that is up to 140/90, you may be advised to ingest less caffeine to prevent your blood pressure from spiking into the higher levels. A person with high blood pressure, should limit their caffeine to prevent the caffeine and high blood pressure from causing even more dangerous health problems.
It is also not advisable to drink something containing caffeine just prior to having your blood pressure tested. This slight increase in pressure may give your doctor a false high reading, thus leading to a misdiagnosis of high blood pressure. This is why some physicians recommend a fasting diet prior to a blood pressure test, but eating and drinking normally prior to having your blood pressure checked usually isn't an issue.
For the person who consumes a lot of caffeine and high blood pressure is a major concern, the best course would be to reduce or eliminate the caffeine all together, regardless of its source in your diet. Your blood pressure won't know if the caffeine is from coffee, tea, soft drinks, or some of the modern junk foods that now contain the chemical. Don't risk your health. Stay with lower, safer levels in your diet.
| Disclaimer: |
The information in this High Blood Pressure section has been taken from a number of sources. It is meant to give you information about certain medicines, but it does not cover all of the possible uses, warnings, side effects, or interactions with other medicines and vitamin or herbal supplements.
This information should not be used as medical advice for individual medical problems. Please talk to your doctor, health professional, and/or your pharmacist for prescription or treatment instructions. |
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