What does coffee do to blood vessels: does the drink narrow or expand their lumen?

In addition to caffeine, coffee contains over 400 chemical compounds, including the alkaloid group. All these substances have a limited effect on the human cardiovascular system.

Can I drink coffee for hypo- or hypertensive patients? And most importantly, does this drink dilate or constrict blood vessels? All the answers are below in our article.

How does the drink act on vascular lumen?

What does caffeine do to blood vessels? Almost immediately after drinking a cup of strong brewed coffee the vessels of the brain are narrowing, blood pressure is rising. This effect lasts from 2 to 7 hours. As practice shows, the older the age, the longer the effect of caffeine lasts (prolonged effect).

That is why doctors recommend that elderly people give up such drinks – it is easier to control blood pressure without them.

But the vessels that penetrate the muscle fibers expand. Trigonellin indirectly contributes to this. The same alkaloid stimulates the enhancement of taste and sense of smell. The filling vessels of the heart muscle also expand slightly. All this in total increases the saturation of tissues with oxygen, which causes a surge of strength and a feeling of vivacity.

Is the drink harmful to the cardiovascular system? It is believed that it causes harm only if you consume more than 300 milligrams of caffeine daily. The critical dose is over 1200 milligrams (there is an overexcitation of the central nervous system).

At the same time one study indicates that moderate coffee consumption has no effect on the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

According to another study, moderate consumption even reduces the risk of CVD.

Learn more about the effect of coffee on the heart see a separate article.

What does it do with pressure: does it lower or increase?

Scientists have repeatedly conducted research on this issue. Bottom line – 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 does not affect their well–being in any way.

But for hypotonics, at 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").

Effect on blood

Does coffee affect the biochemical composition of the blood? It increases the level of caffeine (which eventually transforms to caffeinated tannic acid), and also nicotinic acid (about 50 grams of coffee beans contain its daily value).

Also Blood oxygen saturation increases due to the breath-stimulating effect, but it is noticeable only in the first hour after drinking the drink.

It is often said that coffee increases the risk of chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system. Doctors believe that this is not entirely true. But high doses of caffeine can actually act as a provoking element. The most dangerous combination is with nicotine and tobacco smoke. In total, these substances significantly dilate blood vessels and increase heart rate, which creates an excessive load on the heart muscle.

The same thing happens if even a small amount of alcohol is added to the drink (for example, cognac or wine). There is no benefit from this, but the harm is significant.

Does it lower cholesterol?

On the cholesterol level of coffee has no effect. It doesn't decrease, it doesn't increase.

However, is it possible to drink it with atherosclerosis of blood vessels? Doctors note that lovers of sweet coffee (or other drinks based on it, such as lattes) the probability of atherosclerotic plaque formation is slightly higher .

And this is due to the high level of sugar in the blood – from this micro-scratches appear on the inner walls of blood vessels, where lipids and cholesterol accumulate.

That is, if you really drink coffee, it is better with a minimum amount of sugar, and it is also advisable to add cream – so it will bring minimum harm and maximum benefit.

There is an opinion that unfiltered or green coffee can increase cholesterol. But these statements also have no scientific evidence.

To reduce cholesterol, you can drink other, more effective ones Cleansing drinks and comply with special diet .

Effects on the brain

Caffeine is a pretty strong psychostimulant that gives an invigorating effect. In small quantities &8212; it is improves communication between cells of the nervous system , which comprehensively improves the functioning of the brain.

And along with this, the pressure increases, which will help hypotension patients get rid of or at least reduce the intensity of the headache.

It is not worth using caffeine often to increase blood pressure – when abused, the body's reaction becomes less pronounced. That is, there is a so-called "addictive" effect . At the same time, many people begin to brew a stronger drink, which ultimately negatively affects the work of the gastrointestinal tract.

More coffee reduces the need for oxygen in the brain. This improves the functioning of cortical and subcortical structures, but at the same time drowsiness may occur when caffeine is completely eliminated from the body (after 2 to 7 hours). But immediately, on the contrary, the desire to sleep decreases. But this effect only lasts for the first hour. So a few hours before bedtime, caffeine will in no way affect the ability to fall asleep quickly.

Caffeine has tonic, invigorating effect , as well as most of the other alkaloids that make up coffee.

The following effects can also be noted:

1. Enhancement of taste sensitivity, charm. However, this effect does not occur in smokers, since nicotine and smoky gas make the receptors less sensitive.
2. Improving intellectual abilities. Caffeine reduces the need for oxygen, acts excitingly on nerve cells (thereby improving the transmission of impulses).
3. Improves overall mood. After all, coffee contains a whole set of alkaloids, many of which act as psychostimulants (but the effect is thousands of times weaker than from synthetic narcotic drugs).

Also check out the infographic:

Daily consumption rate

It is more correct to indicate the daily intake rate not of coffee, but of the caffeine contained in it. How much of it will be in an ordinary 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 (latte and other similar drinks) – from 40 to 70 milligrams;
• Natural boiled (in the traditional way in Turkey) – from 110 to 170 milligrams.

The optimal daily allowance is up to 200 milligrams of caffeine , that is, 2 regular cups of coffee. The permissible maximum is 400 milligrams.

If 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 containing caffeine).

In theory, if these recommendations are followed, 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).

Who should drink it, and who should give it up altogether?

Doctors can recommend coffee (but in moderation) only for patients with chronic hypotension , that is, with constantly low blood pressure.

Many also point out that caffeine is used in migraines allows you to ease your headache a little , although doctors claim that these are isolated cases, since migraines can develop in several variations (when only the vessels or also the cortical part are affected).

That is, in this case, you should additionally consult with your doctor.

Coffee will also be useful for those whose work is related to intellectual work and who finds it difficult to cheer up in the morning . Caffeine in the dose contained in an ordinary cup of hot drink acts as a simple stimulant without any negative consequences for a healthy person. Moreover, caffeine-based drugs are often recommended to stimulate mental performance. But this is not relevant for children.

But in the following cases and in the presence of such diseases from any caffeinated drinks should be completely abandoned:

• Hypertension;
• Coronary heart disease;
• Angina pectoris;
• Heart failure;
• Kidney failure;
• Pregnancy and lactation (breast-feeding);
• Age under 14;
• Glaucoma;
• Chronic insomnia.

It is also necessary to minimize the use of coffee in diabetes mellitus, although caffeine increases insulin sensitivity. In this regard, it is better to consult with an endocrinologist, since it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of the patient's body. For example, coffee brewed in Turkey is strictly contraindicated in this case – he has a high glycemic index . But espresso is quite low (below 30, which minimally affects blood glucose levels).

Maybe it's better to drink tea?

One cup of tea contains only 10-12 milligrams of caffeine. This has practically no effect on the vessels. Therefore, it is much more logical to use caffeinated drinks to expand their lumen, but not forgetting the recommended daily allowance.

But some teas perfectly cleanse blood vessels of cholesterol.

At the same time, tea contains more useful trace elements . The same phytoncides, antioxidants and B-group vitamins. But, as studies have shown, the average life expectancy of those who drink tea is exactly the same as that of coffee drinkers.

Useful video

We suggest you watch the video to better familiarize yourself with the topic:

In total, coffee narrows the vessels of the head, but expands those that pass through the muscle tissue and through the heart. All this adds up to an immediate increase in blood pressure, but the effect is short–lived (lasts only 2 hours).