| By :
Mark Ramos
With age, the blood vessels often become stiffer, which increases the risk for high blood pressure. A new study done by Greek researchers through the University of Athens poses surprising results in that drinking coffee in moderation could counteract this negative health problem. Previous research has been inconclusive as to whether or not coffee is bad or good for the heart. This new study was done on 485 men and women within the age group of 65 to 100 who lived on a small island in the Aegean Sea called Ikaria. The natives of this island normally live up to their 90th birthday, and the researchers wanted to find out their secret to long life. All of the participants within the study had high blood pressure, and they underwent scans to determine the state of the stiffness of their blood vessels. Within the group, 11% drank 3 or more cups of Joe each day, 56% drank 1 to 2 cups of coffee per day, and 33% drank less than one cup or no coffee at all. Those within the group that drank 1 to 2 cups of coffee each day had 25% more elasticity in their major blood vessels than the group participants who drank little or no coffee at all. This study also took into account other factors that can affect aging in the blood vessels, such as gender, smoking, physical activity, age, education, blood pressure, body weight, diet, and diabetes. The study also revealed that those participants that drank 1 to 2 cups of coffee each day were less likely to have cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, or be overweight. What is the reason for this? The men and women within the study often drank traditional Greek coffee served in small espresso-sized cups. Greek coffee has more caffeine and is much stronger than regular espresso, and it also has beneficial compounds, like potassium, magnesium, vitamin E, flavenoids, and niacin to protect the blood vessels as you age. These compounds blocked the damaging effects of oxidation that can create inflammation in the blood vessels. The oxidation will cause free radical damage to harm the cells in the body and create stiffness in the blood vessels, which results in high blood pressure. Traditional Greek coffee actually contains more of these compounds than other styles of coffee since it is boiled and unfiltered. The study results showed that hypertensive patients are recommended to drink coffee in moderation at 1 to 2 cups per day to slow down the advances of arterial aging. One other interesting point of the study was that the participants enjoyed their coffee in cafés or home while they relaxed with friends, so there could also be psychological benefits to this coffee consumption to positively impact the heart health. This is fantastic news for fans of coffee, so take the time to try different coffee brew methods, like Greek style coffee, which you can enjoy in moderation to protect your heart health!
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