| Coffee and Arterial Function |
 |
 Caffeine
is the most widely used drug in the world today. Found in beverages
like coffee, tea and soft drinks, it is consumed by 8 out of 10 adults
in the Western world today.
It is interesting how modern society can
condone its use as a socially acceptable poison. Its toxic effect is without
doubt.
In a study, a group of 10 healthy volunteers were
given either inactive placebo capsules or capsules containing 100 milligrams
of caffeine -- a quantity equivalent to one cup of coffee. The volunteers
were then given the opposite capsule from the previous dosage on another
day. The results showed that caffeine consumption
caused an increase in wave reflection -- a measure of arterial stiffness
-- for at least 2 hours.
 Just
one cup of coffee is enough to harden a person's arteries for several hours
afterwards. This puts extra pressure on the heart, thus increasing the risk
of heart attack or stroke. The same amount of caffeine can raise the blood pressure by 5 to
10 millimeters of mercury. If this increase is on a regular basis,
it could have negative repercussions on a person's long-term prognosis.
Thus people with high blood pressure should consider reducing their caffeine
intake or drinking caffeine-free drinks.
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