Boiled coffee and blood pressure. A 14-week controlled trial.

Abstract

The question of whether long-term elimination of coffee from the diet lowers blood pressure has not been settled. Consumption of Scandinavian-style "boiled coffee" is associated with coronary heart disease. However, little is known about the effect of brewing method on the blood pressure-raising potential of coffee. We have studied the effects on blood pressure and heart rate of total elimination of coffee and tea in comparison with drinking boiled coffee consumed as such, or boiled coffee consumed after filtration through paper filter. Thirty-one women and 33 men first consumed 6 cups/day of boiled and filtered coffee for 17 days. Then they were randomly divided into three groups, which for the next 79 days received either unfiltered boiled coffee (caffeine content 860 mg/l), boiled-and-filtered coffee (887 mg caffeine/l), or no coffee, the latter being replaced by fruit juice and mineral water. Total elimination of coffee did not significantly affect blood pressure or heart rate relative to boiled-and-filtered coffee. In subjects who drank boiled coffee, mean ambulant systolic blood pressure rose significantly relative to those who consumed boiled-and-filtered coffee (mean difference +/- SEM, 3.1 +/- 1.1 mm Hg, p = 0.006). This response showed a tendency to be stronger for women (4.5 +/- 1.8 mm Hg) than for men (1.7 +/- 1.2 mm Hg). We conclude that elimination of filtered coffee has no substantial long-term effect on blood pressure, but consumption of unfiltered boiled coffee may cause a slight but significant rise in systolic blood pressure.