Daily dose of coffee. Effect on blood vessels

The effect of coffee on the blood vessels of the brain

In the morning, adenosine is produced in the brain. This element is involved in various biochemical processes, affects the nervous system and provokes drowsiness. A standard cup of coffee blocks adenosine receptors. Thanks to this, an increased amount of dopamine and glutamic acid enters the brain. As a result, drowsiness disappears.

The coffee drink has the following properties:

• improves mood;
• increases concentration;
• increases reaction speed;
• improves learning ability.

With excessive coffee consumption, the adrenal glands produce a lot of adrenaline. This stress hormone provokes increased nervousness and makes a person more irritable.

Caffeine significantly affects the functioning of the body

Vasodilator effect

Many people are interested in the question of how coffee affects blood vessels. The drug has a vasodilating effect on the following organs:

1. Heart. The drink slightly stimulates blood circulation. Due to this, more oxygen and useful elements enter the organ. When the pulse slows down, conductivity normalizes. When blood vessels are clogged, blood circulation in the affected areas is stimulated. Coffee helps prevent angina pain. If you drink the drink in small volumes, you can increase your resistance to external factors.
2. Muscle tissue of the skeleton. The product strengthens the muscle corset. This effect is achieved by increasing blood flow. The drink is recommended to be combined with sports activities. When used correctly, the product stimulates the excretion of lactic acid. This helps to cope with muscle pain. Recovery is stimulated during degenerative changes in the body. Coffee ensures proper muscle contraction. But with an excessive amount, it can cause spasm and a sharp decrease in the lumen of blood vessels.
3. Kidneys. Accelerating blood flow helps stimulate the functions of the urinary system. Coffee promotes sodium retention in tissue structure. When consumed in small volumes, the diuretic effect does not require additional correction or change in drinking regimen.
4. Lungs. The drink improves the filling of tissues with blood. Due to the increase in the vascular lumen, it is possible to accelerate the saturation of the fluid with oxygen. This helps prevent oxygen starvation.

The effect of coffee on brain vessels varies. However, a combination of factors leads to positive results. Thus, accelerating the movement of oxygen helps improve mental performance. However, coffee poses a danger to weak blood vessels that have suffered from atherosclerosis. When brewing a drink, a dangerous substance is released - cafestol. It leads to cholesterol deposition. In addition, coffee contains chlorogenic acid. It is a strong antioxidant that has a beneficial effect on the walls of blood vessels. However, with an excess of antioxidants, there is a risk of blood clot rupture. Therefore, you should not drink a lot of coffee if you have varicose veins and thrombophlebitis.

Vasoconstrictor effect

The effect of caffeine on blood vessels is vasoconstrictor. The product has this effect on the following elements of the body:

1. Digestive system. The product leads to an increase in the production of gastric juice, which helps improve digestive functions. After consuming the product, carbohydrates and fats are better broken down. However, it can cause constipation. Dysfunction of the venous system and muscle tissue slows down the movement of feces. The situation is aggravated by a small diuretic effect.
2. Pelvic organs. Reducing the influx of coffee alleviates a person’s condition with urethritis, cystitis and some other pathologies. The liquid does not irritate the mucous membranes as much and reduces sensitivity. Coffee may slightly reduce the amount of discharge during your period. The severity of spasms is also reduced.
3. Brain. Coffee causes cerebral blood vessels to constrict and reduces their need for oxygen.

Coffee is contraindicated in the presence of certain diseases

The ingredients of the drink stimulate the functions of the cortical centers. Brain stimulation helps combat drowsiness and causes temporary arousal. Excess coffee in the diet provokes exhaustion.

Benefits of caffeine for the brain

Constriction of blood vessels in the brain is not the only valuable property of coffee. The benefits of the drink are much wider:

• temporary improvement in mental performance;
• increased blood pressure due to hypotension;
• acceleration of metabolism;
• preventing the development of coronary disease;
• normalization of the endocrine system.

An unusual effect of the drink is to prevent tissue oxidation. Acting as an antioxidant, coffee slows down the aging process and reduces the risk of tumor formation. Caffeine is recommended for use by people who have:

• menstrual pain and headaches;
• decreased heart rate;
• constant feeling of fatigue and drowsiness;
• lethargy and physical weakness.

For medicinal purposes, coffee is prescribed only by the attending physician after conducting the necessary research. This will eliminate pathologies of internal organs and blood vessels of the brain.

Interesting! Caffeine is an alkaloid. This explains its ability to invigorate, but if consumed in excess, the activity is suppressed.

Effect on veins and arteries

Answering the question of how coffee affects blood vessels, it is worth noting that frequent consumption of the drink causes destruction of the venous system. This is due to an increase in load on the vessels. Excessive amounts of coffee in the diet impair the functioning of muscle tissue. With tissue contraction, the vascular lumen is significantly reduced. As a result, headaches appear, coordination of movements is impaired, and limbs turn pale.

Coffee poses a danger to the heart and blood vessels if you have chronic diseases. In advanced situations, irreversible degenerative processes are observed, heartbeat disturbances occur, and wear and tear on the walls of blood vessels accelerates. There is also a risk of uncontrolled spasms and decreased venous lumen. Caffeine has additional effects that may worsen health problems. The drink can be beneficial if you need to stimulate or reduce blood circulation in certain areas, but most often medications are prescribed for this.

HOW COFFEE AFFECTS PRESSURE

Drink connoisseurs often wonder: does coffee increase or decrease blood pressure? It is known that it tends to increase blood pressure because caffeine constricts peripheral blood vessels. However, in healthy people this phenomenon is short-lived and its effectiveness is comparable to fast walking or climbing stairs. Studies have shown that consuming less than 5 cups per day does not lead to the development of hypertension and does not have a negative effect on cardiac function.

Things are completely different for those who already suffer from vascular pathologies. How does coffee affect blood pressure in this case? In the presence of serious diseases, it causes surges in blood pressure, vascular spasms and even a hypertensive crisis. Blood pressure indicators are affected by both the frequency of consumption and the strength of the drink, so for hypertensive patients who are unable to refuse a cup of aromatic coffee, it is advisable to replace it with Cappuccino or not make it too strong.

How to reduce the harm from coffee

Coffee and vessels can be an unpredictable combination. If you want to minimize the harm of the drink, you should use the following methods to weaken the effect of caffeine:

• drink a caffeine-free drink - this substance is also present in such a product, but in minimal quantities;
• mix coffee with milk - it is worth considering that as a result the drink becomes more caloric and increases the likelihood of constipation;
• drink the drink with citrus fruits - lemons or oranges are suitable as additions.

There are several ways to reduce the harmful effects of coffee

How to drink coffee correctly for health?

Don't drink coffee right after waking up

Most consumers pour themselves a hot drink 15-20 minutes after they wake up. And after a couple of hours another portion is required.

Reputable studies have confirmed that it is better to drink coffee not immediately after getting out of bed in the morning, but 2 hours after waking up from sleep

It turns out that the body must wake up naturally, this is important. Vigor should increase gradually, and drinking coffee interferes with the launch of this mechanism

It's good to drink coffee 2 hours after waking up. In this case, the intake is carried out when a large percentage of cortisol is present and physical activity is at a height. This stimulation of the nervous system is safe and even beneficial.

It's better to drink coffee without additives

A harmful combination of fats and carbohydrates is sweet coffee with cream. The fact is that coffee with additives can be high in calories. As a result, a person stores excess fat. 4 cups of this coffee contain about 200 kcal. It is also recommended to wash down each cup with a glass of clean water. People who are predisposed to obesity, or who already have such a disorder, should not indulge in lattes and cappuccinos. These are high-calorie drinks. Instead, unsweetened coffee or green tea, also without additives, is better.

It is not recommended to drink coffee before bed

During wakefulness, brain activity is normally high. Getting ready for bed is associated with the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. A person closes his eyes, enough melatonin is produced, and this causes brain activity to slow down. The brain goes into another state and the person falls asleep. When impulses are sent to the brain through caffeine, melatonin production decreases. This causes problems with falling asleep. A serving of double espresso inhibits melatonin production for 40 minutes.

Some individuals have an increased sensitivity to caffeine, so if they drink coffee, they will definitely stay awake throughout the night. To fall asleep normally, you do not need to drink coffee in the evening or before bed. But at the same time, there is no guarantee that drinking coffee will certainly cause problems with sleep. Some people don't notice this effect.

It is beneficial to drink normal doses of coffee

It is advisable to drink 2 to 4 medium cups of coffee daily. It was mentioned above that it is precisely this dosage of coffee that actually reduces the susceptibility to incurable Alzheimer's disease. People who care about their health need to adhere to this norm. The brain is constantly active and the likelihood of failure is minimal. Drinking less is practically useless, drinking more is definitely not worth it, as you may encounter a whole range of side effects.

You shouldn’t live and work only on coffee, otherwise you will develop a caffeine addiction, and this has bad consequences, worsens your well-being and reduces your quality of life.

It's better to filter Turkish coffee

It is recommended to pass Turkish coffee through a paper filter to reduce the risk of the growth of atherosclerotic plaques, in the formation of which the substance cafestol plays an important role. It is found in coffee - more in natural coffee.

It's good to drink coffee with water

If you experience heart palpitations after drinking coffee, this indicates that the body is in a state of dehydration and requires moisture. It is advisable to wash down each cup of coffee with a large glass of water. If you drink enough water, you won't have to worry about the side effects associated with coffee and dehydration.

Summarize. Everyone chooses for themselves whether to drink coffee or not. Of course, senile dementia is a serious disease, and the drink can protect against it. The possibility of preventing high blood pressure and heart disease is a good reason to drink coffee in moderation. If the attending physician does not prohibit it and there are no complex pathologies, then, of course, you should drink coffee. True, for safety you need to know and follow 2 important rules - drink only unsweetened coffee without milk, and follow the daily norm - 2-4 cups.

Who should give up the drink?

The following are absolute contraindications for drinking coffee:

• children under 12 years of age;
• 1st trimester of pregnancy;
• lactation;
• arterial hypertension;
• acute circulatory disorder in the heart and brain;
• tachyarrhythmia;
• increased sodium levels in the blood;
• impaired renal function, which is accompanied by excessive urine production;
• exacerbation of ulcerative lesions of the stomach and intestines;
• old age – more than 75-80 years;
• glaucoma;
• abnormal vasodilation;
• early postoperative period - 7-10 days after any surgical interventions on the heart or brain;
• serious atherosclerotic lesions of the arteries;
• traumatic brain injury.

There are also conditions that require limiting coffee consumption to 1-2 cups per day. These include the following:

• age 12-18 years;
• 2-3 trimester of pregnancy;
• tendency to increase blood pressure;
• sleep disorders;
• mental pathologies that are accompanied by severe agitation;
• nervous overexcitement.

Coffee causes blood vessels to expand or contract – it all depends on their location. In order for the drink to bring only benefits and not aggravate existing diseases, it is important to use it correctly, strictly observing the dosage.

How can you take it?

Chicory is a great alternative to coffee. A plant-based drink has been used by traditional healers for a long time to treat many diseases.

As a drink

To prepare you need to take 1 tbsp. herbs and pour 0.5 cup of boiling water. The solution should be consumed 2-3 times a day. To improve the taste, you can add lemon zest and a few peppermint leaves.

To prevent cardiovascular complications, it is necessary to take only stems and roots. The dosage is similar.

Use in cooking

The powder can be added to dough during kneading, pastry creams and other dishes (pilaf, pasta). The plant goes well with any food and adds a hazelnut flavor.

Compresses

To reduce the severity of the inflammatory reaction in infectious skin diseases (allergic rashes, boils, abscesses), compresses with a plant solution are applied. To prepare 2 tbsp. herbs are poured with 50 ml of boiling water and infused for 10-15 minutes.