by Lars H
Drinking two to three cups of coffee a day may help maintain lower blood pressure, according to a new study by researchers from the University of Bologna and the University Hospital of Bologna – Sant’Orsola Polyclinic. The study, published in the journal Nutrients, analyzed the association between coffee consumption and peripheral and central blood pressure in a sample of the Italian population.
“The results obtained show that those who regularly drink coffee have significantly lower blood pressure, both on peripheral and central levels, than those who do not drink it,” says Arrigo Cicero, professor at the Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences at the University of Bologna and first author of the study. “This is the first study to observe this association in the Italian population, and the data confirm the positive effect of coffee consumption on cardiovascular risk,” adds Prof. Claudio Borghi, who led the study.
Coffee is one of the most popular beverages worldwide, with almost 10 million tons consumed in 2020 and 2021. Although caffeine is known to increase blood pressure, the study suggests that other bioactive components in coffee counterbalance this effect, resulting in an overall positive impact on blood pressure levels.
The research team examined a sample of 720 men and 783 women from the Brisighella Heart Study sub-cohort, comparing their blood pressure levels and coffee consumption habits. “The results are very clear: peripheral blood pressure was significantly lower in individuals consuming one to three cups of coffee a day than in non-coffee drinkers,” explains Cicero. “And for the first time, we were also able to confirm these effects with regard to the central aortic pressure, the one close to the heart.”
Data from the study showed that coffee drinkers had lower values for both systolic and pulse pressure in peripheral circulation and central aortic pressure. These findings suggest that coffee consumption has a positive effect on reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Cicero further notes that the health benefits of coffee are not solely due to caffeine: “Caffeine is only one of the several coffee components and certainly not the only one with an active role. Positive effects on human health have indeed been recorded even among those who consume decaffeinated coffee.”
This research supports previous findings that link regular coffee consumption to a lower risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and certain neurodegenerative and liver diseases. However, the exact reasons for these benefits remain unclear and warrant further investigation.
The study, titled “Self-Reported Coffee Consumption and Central and Peripheral Blood Pressure in the Cohort of the Brisighella Heart Study”, was authored by the Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences of the University of Bologna and IRCCS (Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare) University Hospital of Bologna – Sant’Orsola Polyclinic.