Coffee and tea are everyday drinks that have an invigorating effect. They both contain caffeine. However, a new study found that coffee has the risk of increasing blood pressure, while tea does not.

Dr. Ou Han Wen, a doctor of integrative medicine and nutrition at the University of Maryland, said on The Epoch Times health program “Health 1+1” that whether it’s tea or coffee, it’s important to drink it correctly.

Many people think high blood pressure is caused by aging, making the cardiovascular wall less flexible and narrower, requiring more pressure to get the blood out. However, according to Ou, 90 percent of hypertension has no known cause.

Functional medicine has found that hypertension is triggered by inflammation of the endothelium in the blood vessels, which consumes nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide is a key factor that can help blood vessels relax and prevent blood clots from coagulating. Many factors can cause inflammation of the blood vessels, including insulin resistance, increased blood sugar, chronic inflammation of the body caused by inappropriate food intake, and obesity.

A study published in December 2022 in the Journal of the American Heart Association showed that coffee could increase the risk of hypertension, worrying many coffee lovers. Ou said the focus of the study should be on daily caffeine intake, which is the key to high blood pressure.

Usually, a cup of 240cc coffee contains 80 to 100 milligrams of caffeine, while the same volume of green tea contains only 30 to 50 milligrams of caffeine. Caffeine can stimulate the sympathetic nerves and makes the heart beat faster, blood vessels constrict, and blood pressure naturally rise.

Ou recommended that patients with severe hypertension (systolic blood pressure of 160 bpm or more, diastolic blood pressure of 100 bpm or more), should not drink more than two cups of 240cc of coffee a day. He also believes that the intake of caffeine for adults should not exceed 300 milligrams a day. Pregnant women should not exceed 200 milligrams.

The following people should avoid drinking coffee. Those with:

Coffee stimulates the sympathetic nerves and prevents sleep. If you habitually take sleeping pills, coffee will affect the drug’s metabolism and increase the burden on the body.

Coffee also stimulates adrenaline. When the body gets very tired, coffee can cause physical strain.

Ou said that coffee and tea are rich in natural phytochemicals and have many health benefits. They can be consumed in appropriate amounts except for people with specific diseases.

For coffee addicts, Ou suggests adding the following to mitigate the effects of caffeine on blood pressure:

The study mentioned above also found that although tea also contains caffeine, it is helpful for people with high blood pressure. This is because tea contains anti-inflammatory polyphenols and catechins: antioxidants, fat burners, and blood pressure-lowering agents.

How do you choose an ideal tea for high blood pressure patients?

Ou recommends the following in ascending order of caffeine content:

1. Decaffeinated South African national tea
2. Decaffeinated green tea
3. Oolong tea
4. Black tea

Ou pointed out that although tea is healthy, you should not drink tea instead of water because:

People who have the following issues should avoid drinking tea:

Ou said that the best temperature for tea is 95 to 97 degrees Fahrenheit, which can release the most catechins. And try not to add sugar, as it will affect the composition of the tea leaves. If you don’t like the bitter taste of tea, you can use honey, citrus, and other natural sweeteners.