Many people begin their day with a cup of coffee or green tea, each drink offering its own benefits. Coffee is often chosen for its ability to wake us up and give us energy, while green tea is favored for its calming effects. But how do these drinks affect our heart health? Let’s take a closer look.
The Role of Caffeine
Both coffee and green tea contain caffeine, which helps us feel more alert and awake. However, coffee generally has more caffeine than tea.
According to the FDA, an 8-ounce cup of coffee contains 80 to 100 milligrams of caffeine, while the same amount of green or black tea has about 30 to 50 milligrams. This difference in caffeine content plays a significant role in how these drinks impact our bodies, especially our hearts.
What Past Research Says About Coffee
Coffee has long been studied for its effects on health, and many studies have shown some positive outcomes for coffee drinkers. For example:
- Drinking one cup of coffee a day may improve the chances of surviving a heart attack.
- Regular coffee drinkers might have a lower risk of heart attacks or strokes compared to those who don’t drink coffee.
- Coffee may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases, improve mood, and increase alertness.
However, there are downsides to drinking too much coffee. High amounts of caffeine can raise blood pressure and lead to feelings of anxiety, which could be risky for people with heart issues.
The Latest Research on Coffee and Blood Pressure
A recent study looked closely at how coffee affects people with different levels of blood pressure. The researchers grouped blood pressure into five categories, from ‘optimal and normal’ to ‘severe hypertension’ (very high blood pressure).
They followed more than 18,500 people aged 40 to 79 over a period of nearly 19 years to see how coffee and tea consumption affected their risk of heart disease.
Here’s what they found:
- During the study, 842 participants died from heart-related issues.
- Drinking two or more cups of coffee a day was linked to a higher risk of death from heart disease in people with very high blood pressure.
- Drinking just one cup of coffee a day did not increase this risk, regardless of blood pressure levels.
- Green tea, on the other hand, did not seem to have any negative effect on heart disease risk, even for those with very high blood pressure.
These results suggest that people with extremely high blood pressure might want to limit their coffee intake, as they could be more sensitive to the effects of caffeine.
Why Green Tea May Be Safer
Green tea seems to be a better choice for heart health, especially for people with high blood pressure. One reason for this could be the presence of polyphenols in green tea.
Polyphenols are plant-based nutrients that have been shown to protect cells from damage and reduce inflammation. These health-promoting properties make green tea a safer option for people concerned about their heart health.
The Takeaway
While coffee offers several health benefits, it’s important to drink it in moderation, especially if you have high blood pressure. Too much coffee can raise your risk of heart problems if your blood pressure is already very high.
Green tea, on the other hand, seems to be a safer option for everyone, thanks to its lower caffeine levels and the added benefits of polyphenols.
This research, led by Hiroyasu Iso, gives us a better understanding of how the drinks we choose can impact our heart health. If you enjoy coffee, it’s okay to keep drinking it, but you might want to consider switching to green tea if you have concerns about your blood pressure.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk, and Vitamin K2 could help reduce heart disease risk.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about how to remove plaques that cause heart attacks, and results showing a new way to prevent heart attacks, strokes.
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