Coffee may be good for blood pressure

Coffee may be good for blood pressure

Contrary to previously held belief, a study has provided strong evidence that coffee does not cause long-term hypertension in women. Cola on the other hand may be responsible for long-term blood pressure.

A team led by Dr. Wolfgang Winkelmayer, a researcher at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital conducted a 12-year long study in which they investigated data on 155,594 white female nurses, with an average age of 55. The women were questioned on various aspects of their diet and health.

“We found strong evidence to refute speculation that coffee consumption is associated with an increased risk of hypertension in women,” stated the researchers in a report that appeared in the Dec. 9 issue of the 'Journal of the American Medical Association'.

The researchers observed that out of the 155,594 women, 33,000 were diagnosed with high blood pressure. The analysis revealed that the women who drank 3 or more cups of coffee daily were 7 to 12 percent less likely to develop long-term hypertension as compared to women who drank little or no coffee. On the contrary, women who drank at least 4 cans of sugared colas a day had 28 to 44 percent higher risk of developing blood pressure as compared to those who drank none.

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The researchers have cautioned that the results are not definitive and further research is needed to conclude anything about cola consumption. They however have tried to speculate the reasons behind the surprising results.

That coffee has antioxidants which are good for the heart, might be one possible explanation for the lower risk involved in coffee consumption. Whereas the sodium content in Colas might be responsible for causing higher blood pressure. The findings may not necessarily be applicable to men or to women who are differently aged or belong to other races.