Coffee and Blood Pressure

For many people it's simply part of the morning routine – a cup of coffee. But it's not only in the morning; the black pick-me-up is often enjoyed throughout the day. There is often some uncertainty about its effect on blood pressure, and whether coffee might raise it so that people with existing high blood pressure should avoid it.

{Fehler für :template{template="Blutdruckdaten" param1="{-%-2/%/}" param2=" Kaffee"}Studies have shown that coffee can raise blood pressure in the short term. However, this mainly applies to people who aren't used to caffeine. Regular coffee drinkers, on the other hand, have little or no change in blood pressure from the hot beverage. It's important to know that, whether you're a coffee drinker or not, any rise in blood pressure is usually only short-term. A habituation effect can be seen after about two weeks of regular coffee consumption: the blood pressure spike disappeared or was reduced.
This is supported by a long-term study published in 2024. In that study, the blood pressure of around 1,500 participantssome coffee drinkers, some who drank little or no coffeewas monitored over 10 years. The reassuring result for coffee drinkers was that their blood pressure measurements did not differ from those of the non- or rare-coffee drinkers. No increase in the new onset of high blood pressure was found among coffee drinkers. So coffee doesn't seem to affect blood pressure when it's consumed habitually.

When it comes to an "allowed" amount, the German Heart Foundation gives 4-5 cups of coffee per day, which corresponds to a maximum caffeine amount of 400 mg. However, this amount should not be consumed all at once. It's meant as the total amount for a day. At one timee.g., at breakfast or in the afternoonno more than 200 mg of caffeine should be taken, which is about 2 cups of coffee.

Of course this only applies to those who tolerate coffee. Regardless of its effect on blood pressure, individual reactions can spoil the enjoymentfor example, if you get heart palpitations or stomach problems after a cup of coffee.

If you don't experience unpleasant symptoms after a cup and therefore tolerate it, moderate (!) coffee consumption could even have positive effects on the cardiovascular system. Various studies have found indications of this. For example, the antioxidants in coffee can even be beneficial to health.

By the way, caffeine isn't only found in coffee. Black or green tea and even dark chocolate contain the stimulant. It's also well known that it's in cola and energy drinks (see our article on blood pressure and Energy drinks). If you consume these products in addition to coffee, they of course contribute to your total daily caffeine intake and must be taken into account.

In conclusion: coffee is not as harmful to health as was long believed. On the contrary, it even has positive properties that can be good for your health. As with many things, the dose makes the poison. But if you want to drink coffee regularly and in moderation, you may do so with confidence, even if you have high blood pressure.

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Coffee and Blood Pressure

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