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At Healthfully, we strive to deliver objective content that is accurate and up-to-date. Our team periodically reviews articles in order to ensure content quality. The sources cited below consist of evidence from peer-reviewed journals, prominent medical organizations, academic associations, and government data.
- Circulation: Coffee Consumption and Risk of Stroke in Women
- Circulation: Coffee Consumption and Risk of Stroke in Women
- Circulation: Coffee Acutely Increases Sympathetic Nerve Activity and Blood Pressure Independently of Caffeine Content: Role of Habitual Versus Nonhabitual Drinking
- Circulation: Coffee Acutely Increases Sympathetic Nerve Activity and Blood Pressure Independently of Caffeine Content: Role of Habitual Versus Nonhabitual Drinking
- Human Brain Mapping: The Effect of Daily Caffeine Use on Cerebral Blood Flow: How Much Caffeine Can We Tolerate
- Human Brain Mapping: The Effect of Daily Caffeine Use on Cerebral Blood Flow: How Much Caffeine Can We Tolerate
- Harvard School of Public Health: Ask the Expert: Coffee and Health
- MedlinePlus: Caffeine in Diet
The information contained on this site is for informational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for the advice of a professional health care provider. Please check with the appropriate physician regarding health questions and concerns. Although we strive to deliver accurate and up-to-date information, no guarantee to that effect is made.
Does Drinking Coffee Affect Circulation?
Despite its potential negative effects on health, moderate coffee drinking does not seem to increase risk of heart disease, explains the Harvard School of Public Health 5. Coffee drinking has been associated with mild cholesterol elevations that could potentially affect your circulation. However, a study published in a 2009 issue of “Circulation” found that long-term coffee consumption did not directly increase the risk of stroke 1. Evidence from the study suggests that coffee consumption may in fact lower your risk of stroke 1.
Circulation
Your heart is the muscle that is responsible for circulating your blood throughout your body. The rate and pressure at which your heart pumps blood through your blood vessels have implications on your overall health 4. Exercising for at least 30 minutes daily as well as folowing a diet rich in fruits and vegetables but low on saturated fats and cholesterol will help keep your heart healthy. Coffee contains caffeine that causes your heart rate to elevate, MedlinePlus, a service of the National Institutes of Health, notes 6. However, this only becomes problematic if coffee consumption reaches or exceeds 80 ounces daily. Drinking about 24 ounces of coffee daily is considered average to moderate and has not been associated with causing long-term harm to your circulation.
- Your heart is the muscle that is responsible for circulating your blood throughout your body.
- Drinking about 24 ounces of coffee daily is considered average to moderate and has not been associated with causing long-term harm to your circulation.
Risk of Stroke
Can Drinking Coffee Cause Dry Mouth?
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A study featured in a 2009 issue of “Circulation” shows that coffee consumption lowered the risk of stroke in women without any history of stroke, coronary heart disease, diabetes or cancer 1. However, the study also pointed out that factors such as age, smoking status, body mass index, level of physical activity and diet also affected circulation and risk of stroke 1. More research is necessary to determine if coffee has the same effect on men.
Higher Blood Pressure
Coffee drinking caused an increase in blood pressure in nonhabitual coffee drinkers, according to a study featured in a 2001 issue of “Circulation.” The study also found that coffee did not cause the blood pressure of habitual coffee drinkers to increase 2. However, because the results also showed that decaffeinated coffee caused the blood pressure of nonhabitual coffee drinkers to increase, coffee components other than caffeine must also be responsible for affecting your cardiovascular system and circulation 2. Further research is needed to determine what other factors as well as substances in coffee cause blood pressure to increase.
Elevates Cerebral Blood Flow
Is Too Much Caffeine Bad for You?
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The results of a study published in a 2009 issue of “Human Brain Mapping” suggest that consuming an average of 950 milligrams of caffeine daily reduced cerebral blood flow by about 27 percent 3. This means that drinking high amounts of coffee potentially impairs blood circulation in your brain in the long run. More research is needed to determine what other factors are involved as well as any possible means of reducing this effect.
Related Articles
References
- Circulation: Coffee Consumption and Risk of Stroke in Women
- Circulation: Coffee Acutely Increases Sympathetic Nerve Activity and Blood Pressure Independently of Caffeine Content: Role of Habitual Versus Nonhabitual Drinking
- Human Brain Mapping: The Effect of Daily Caffeine Use on Cerebral Blood Flow: How Much Caffeine Can We Tolerate
- Kids Health: Your Heart and Circulatory System
- Harvard School of Public Health: Ask the Expert: Coffee and Health
- MedlinePlus: Caffeine in Diet
- Chrysant SG. The impact of coffee consumption on blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther. 2017;15(3):151-156. doi:10.1080/14779072.2017.1287563
- O'keefe JH, Dinicolantonio JJ, Lavie CJ. Coffee for Cardioprotection and Longevity. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 2018;61(1):38-42. doi:10.1016/j.pcad.2018.02.002
- Mesas AE, Leon-muñoz LM, Rodriguez-artalejo F, Lopez-garcia E. The effect of coffee on blood pressure and cardiovascular disease in hypertensive individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011;94(4):1113-26. doi:10.3945/ajcn.111.016667
- Geleijnse JM. Habitual coffee consumption and blood pressure: an epidemiological perspective. Vasc Health Risk Manag. 2008;4(5):963-70. doi:10.2147/vhrm.s3055
- Voskoboinik A, Kalman JM, Kistler PM. Caffeine and Arrhythmias: Time to Grind the Data. JACC Clin Electrophysiol. 2018;4(4):425-432. doi:10.1016/j.jacep.2018.01.012
- Klatsky AL, Hasan AS, Armstrong MA, Udaltsova N, Morton C. Coffee, caffeine, and risk of hospitalization for arrhythmias. Perm J. 2011;15(3):19-25.
- Pereira MA, Parker ED, Folsom AR. Coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: an 11-year prospective study of 28 812 postmenopausal women. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(12):1311-6. doi:10.1001/archinte.166.12.1311
- Kokubo Y, Iso H, Saito I, et al. The impact of green tea and coffee consumption on the reduced risk of stroke incidence in Japanese population: the Japan public health center-based study cohort. Stroke. 2013;44(5):1369-74. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.111.677500
- Sofi F, Conti AA, Gori AM, et al. Coffee consumption and risk of coronary heart disease: a meta-analysis. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2007;17(3):209-23. doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2006.07.013
- Guest, NS, Jamnik, J, Womack, C, El-Sohemy, A. Genetic variation related to caffeine metabolism or response during exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2015;12(S1), P53. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-12-S1-P53
- Rendón MY, Dos Santos Scholz MB, Bragagnolo N. Is cafestol retained on the paper filter in the preparation of filter coffee? Food Res Int. 2017;100(Pt 1):798-803. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2017.08.013
- Mostofsky E, Rice MS, Levitan EB, Mittleman MA. Habitual coffee consumption and risk of heart failure: a dose-response meta-analysis. Circ Heart Fail. 2012;5(4):401-5. doi:10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.112.967299
- Tian DD, Natesan S, White JR, Paine MF. Effects of Common CYP1A2 Genotypes and Other Key Factors on Intraindividual Variation in the Caffeine Metabolic Ratio: An Exploratory Analysis. Clin Transl Sci. 2019;12(1):39-46. doi:10.1111/cts.12598
- D'Elia L, Cairella G, Garbagnati F, et al. Moderate Coffee Consumption is Associated with Lower Risk of Stroke: Meta-analysis of Prospective Studies. J Hypertension 2012; 30 (e-Supplement A):e107
- Hasan AS, Morton C, Armstrong MA, et al. Coffee, Caffeine, And Risk Of Hospitalization For Arrhythmias. EPI|NPAM 2010; March 2-5, 2010, San Francisco, CA. Abstract P461.
Writer Bio
Joseph Pritchard graduated from Our Lady of Fatima Medical School with a medical degree. He has spent almost a decade studying humanity. Dr. Pritchard writes as a San Francisco biology expert for a prominent website and thoroughly enjoys sharing the knowledge he has accumulated.