For many years, scientists have been figuring out how drinking drinks containing caffeine affects the human body. Many discoveries and conclusions have been made, but you need to understand that caffeine affects the functioning of human organs and systems in a complex manner. An invigorating drink increases blood pressure or normalizes it. Many people, seeing low numbers on their blood pressure monitor, rush to the coffee machine to make strong espresso. And few people think about what happens to blood vessels under the influence of caffeine. Let's try to figure out whether coffee narrows or dilates blood vessels.
The effect of coffee on blood vessels
There are many cases in history when famous and talented people fueled their muse with large doses of caffeine. For example, Honore de Balzac drank about 50 cups of strong coffee every day. It may seem that caffeine is the main ingredient that helps stimulate brain activity. In fact, everything is completely different.
Scientists say that coffee does not directly affect the blood vessels of the brain. In other words, caffeine cannot improve mental performance. But the drink can affect performance. Caffeine affects the heart rate, thereby improving blood circulation.
Connoisseurs of the invigorating drink say that after a cup of strong espresso, concentration improves, and simple physical actions are much easier to perform. Many athletes or fitness club clients prefer to drink a cup of coffee an hour before an intense workout, and then exercising will be much easier.
People who are concerned about their health often wonder how caffeine affects the cardiovascular system. It has long been discovered that caffeine constricts blood vessels in the brain. When you have a headache due to low blood pressure, a cup of Americano or espresso can relieve cramps and reduce discomfort. It is worth noting that the vessels of the peripheral system, on the contrary, dilate after drinking coffee. This is why people who suffer from hypotension can use caffeine to stabilize their blood pressure for a while.
By the way, any drinks or foods act on the body in a similar way. When calories enter the body, it produces adrenaline, and the tissues are saturated with oxygen. If there are no health problems, a small amount of an invigorating drink is acceptable; the effect of caffeine in this case will only be beneficial.
Scientists are still researching the effects of caffeine on the human body. More and more new discoveries are appearing. For example, they are now looking into how drinking coffee can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
The vasodilating effects of caffeine directly affect the heart muscle, as well as kidney function and the condition of skeletal muscles. Caffeine relaxes the walls of blood vessels, blood supply improves, and the heart is enriched with oxygen.
Caffeine has a vasoconstrictor effect on the pelvic organs, gastrointestinal tract, and brain vessels. If you have spent a long time in a room with stale air or tobacco smoke, it will be useful to drink a cup of an invigorating drink. When headaches begin, this is the brain's way of signaling that it doesn't have enough oxygen. By the way, caffeine is included in almost all migraine medications.
Doctors note that even a healthy person needs to be very careful with drinks containing caffeine. If you drink more than 5 cups of strong espresso every day, even the strongest vessels will eventually not withstand serious stress.
Green tea contains catechins, which gently dilate the walls of blood vessels in the brain. If you have high blood pressure, you can drink a cup of green tea.
What does it do with the pressure: does it lower or increase?
Scientists have repeatedly conducted research on this matter. The result is that blood pressure increases, but this effect is observed only in the first hour after drinking a coffee drink . And at the same time, the lower the initial blood pressure, the higher it rises.
In hypertensive patients , for example, an increase of only 2 to 5 millimeters of mercury was observed, which practically in no way affected their well-being.
But in hypotensive people , with a pressure of about 80/60, the pressure increases by almost 20 millimeters of mercury (mainly diastolic), so caffeine really helps them with headaches (including as part of medications such as Kofalgin).
But systolic pressure (heart pressure, upper pressure) may even decrease slightly if you drink just a little coffee. At the same time, the vessels dilate slightly, but the heart rate does not increase, so the blood flow slows down. If you drink a full cup of coffee, the heart begins to pump blood more actively (due to the tonic effect) - the pressure increases. But it still stabilizes within 1 – 2 hours.
Is it possible to drink coffee if you have atherosclerosis?
First you need to understand what atherosclerosis is. This is a condition of blood vessels when atherosclerotic plaques form inside. The main causes of atherosclerosis are the following factors:
- increased blood clotting;
- damage to the walls of blood vessels;
- increase in lipoproteins in the blood.
Atherosclerosis can affect any organ, and this poses a serious danger to human life. In case of vascular atherosclerosis, doctors prescribe the patient a special diet that excludes the consumption of caffeine-containing drinks.
But there are small concessions. For example, people with grade 1 and 2 cerebral atherosclerosis, provided that their blood pressure is normal, are allowed to drink 1-2 cups of instant coffee with added milk per day. At the same time, you need to monitor your well-being: if it worsens after drinking the drink, it should be excluded from the diet.
Coffee mania is in full swing
If coffee has been a hobby for a long time, then it is necessary to control its consumption. In addition to vascular pathologies caused by the consumption of caffeine in unreasonable quantities, central nervous system disorders may occur, psychosis may develop, insomnia may appear, and even heart rhythm disturbances.
Tea and coffee, although they are familiar drinks for every person, still pose a danger.
Note! Any type of coffee contains caffeine and other active ingredients, so they will have the same effect on the body, even if the price exceeds several million, it will still affect the blood vessels, narrowing or dilating them.
Coffee for VSD
Vegetative-vascular dystonia is not included in the world classification of diseases. However, a large percentage of people suffer from sudden panic attacks, nervous panic, and internal tension. Many people try to find ways to get rid of panic attacks on their own.
For vegetative-vascular dystonia, it is advisable to exclude coffee from your diet. Scientists have found that the occurrence of panic attacks is provoked by stressful situations, as well as the use of invigorating drinks. Studies were conducted in which volunteers suffering from panic attacks drank 4 cups of strong coffee daily. After a few days, it was noticed that the people's condition worsened. The heart rate increased, the subjects were thrown into a cold sweat, there was not enough air, it was hard to breathe. When the amount of caffeine consumed was reduced, people's condition improved.
Doctors strongly advise stopping drinking coffee if you have VSD, but this should be done slowly and carefully. Any stress negatively affects people who suffer from panic attacks. It is necessary to reduce the number of cups of coffee you drink every day. You should not drink coffee on an empty stomach, together with some food: a sandwich, cookies. It is better to add cream, milk, a spoonful of sugar or honey to the drink.
Expert advice:
- It must be remembered that coffee is not the cause of VSD, but the drink can trigger an attack.
- It is necessary to limit the amount of drink consumed, or even better, completely eliminate it from the diet.
- During panic attacks, you should not take caffeinated drinks, so as not to aggravate the problem.
- If you feel well, you can drink a cup of weak latte or cappuccino during your second breakfast.
The scent that separates day from night
Aromatic coffee is unlike anything else, but does it have an effect on the body? After all, anyone can recognize its smell, especially if the drink is brewed by hand.
The aroma of coffee, as such, does not affect blood vessels in any way, it does not narrow or dilate them, however, the invigorating effect in the morning is achieved precisely because of the aroma, and not any other properties.
Need a boost of energy? Just take a breath
Note! Even without trying coffee, you can experience a surge of joy and vigor, but in order for the effect of the active ingredients to spread directly to the blood vessels, you need to take at least a sip of the aromatic drink.
Can pregnant women drink coffee?
Expectant mothers are sensitive to their health, because during the gestation period they are responsible not only for their body, but also for the development of the unborn baby. Pregnant women exclude many foods from their diet, and coffee is often included in the list of prohibited drinks. But it’s so difficult to give up your favorite latte or espresso, because a cup of aromatic coffee is a real ritual that women quickly get used to. And if the expectant mother suffers from hypotension, feels weak in the morning, and has decreased performance, coffee seems to be the only salvation.
Doctors warn that drinking coffee during pregnancy can cause serious harm to the health of mother and baby. By the way, if you abuse the amount of coffee consumed during the planning period, this can lead to problems with conception. Caffeine also increases the tone of the uterus, which is the cause of early pregnancy termination. But don't worry, because this can only happen if the expectant mother consumes too much caffeine. A pregnant woman can afford a cup of aromatic drink, but it is advisable to add milk and drink coffee during the second breakfast.
Caffeine
In medical practice, caffeine is used to stimulate the human nervous system. The belief that it dilates blood vessels is widespread. It must be taken into account that such an impact is ambiguous. Caffeine dilates blood vessels mainly in skeletal muscles, heart, and kidneys. This action leads to increased heart rate, intense kidney function (increased diuresis) and increased mental ability. For the same reason, a feeling of vigor arises and excessive drowsiness disappears.
Along with this effect, caffeine constricts the blood vessels of the abdominal region. Thanks to this balanced effect, there is no significant increase in blood pressure.
Coffee, being a source of caffeine, with moderate consumption does not affect the blood pressure of a healthy person.
Is drinking coffee allowed for gastritis and ulcers?
During exacerbations, doctors strongly advise eliminating caffeine from the diet. It irritates the walls of the stomach, negatively affects the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and worsens a person’s well-being. If there is no exacerbation of the disease, you are allowed to drink coffee, but there are certain rules for its use.
- Drinking coffee on an empty stomach is strictly prohibited. A drink that is drunk on an empty stomach irritates the walls of the mucous membrane and increases acidity.
- Coffee should be at room temperature. A diet intended to treat gastritis and ulcers involves consuming drinks and food at a certain temperature. Hot foods and drinks negatively affect the stomach.
- It is advisable to exclude coffee from the diet, but doctors allow drinking a cup of weak drink with the addition of milk or cream.
- You should give up instant coffee. If it is impossible to do without coffee, it is advisable to give preference to natural beans.
You should completely avoid drinking coffee in the following cases:
- during exacerbation of the disease;
- in the presence of erosions on the walls of the stomach;
- for stomach ulcers;
- if after drinking a drink you experience pain in the stomach.
Daily intake
It is more correct to indicate the daily intake not of coffee, but of the caffeine it contains. How much is there in a regular cup of hot drink?
You can focus on the following numbers:
- soluble - from 60 to 100 milligrams (at the rate of 2 teaspoons of granules);
- espresso – from 80 to 130 milligrams;
- cappuccino (lattes and other similar drinks) – from 40 to 70 milligrams;
- natural boiled (in the traditional way in Turk) - from 110 to 170 milligrams.
The optimal daily intake is up to 200 milligrams of caffeine , that is, 2 regular cups of coffee. The permissible maximum is 400 milligrams.
If it is more, it will harm the heart, as there will be an excessive load on it. For children under 14 years of age, coffee drinks in any form are generally not recommended (this also applies to pharmacological preparations that contain caffeine).
In theory, if you follow these recommendations, there will be no negative consequences from drinking coffee. This has been confirmed by many years of research (when scientists wanted to find out whether the life expectancy of those who prefer tea and those who drink only coffee changes).
Brain circulation
The effect of nicotine on the blood vessels of the brain is characterized by extremely dangerous effects. An increase in blood density and constriction of blood vessels provokes insufficient tissue nutrition. At the same time, there is a possibility of blockage of the lumen with a plaque. Failure of cerebral circulation ultimately manifests itself:
- dyscirculatory encephalopathy;
- dementia;
- stroke.
The initial stage of cerebral vascular pathology will manifest itself:
- frequent headaches and dizziness;
- ringing in the ears;
- decreased vision (due to narrowing of blood vessels in the eyes);
- memory impairment;
- general weakness;
- decreased performance.
The main risk group consists of people whose blood vessels are damaged to a significant extent. These are usually older men with high blood pressure and cholesterol.
Cholesterol plaques are deposited in the cerebral arteries. The result is blockage of the arteries. With a small diameter of the lumen of the vascular bed, a person suffers from constant migraines, and there is a deterioration in the qualitative characteristics of thinking processes: memory, concentration, reaction speed. Changes in mental state occur: depression, irritability, and aggressiveness are typical. Migraines are not relieved by analgesic drugs. One possible complication is cerebral hypoxia. Cells die, mental abilities decrease, and VSD develops.
