Green tea, unlike black tea, goes through a shorter fermentation process, which takes about 2-3 days, while black tea oxidizes for about a month. Therefore, its effect on the body is more pronounced: the properties of tea leaves in this case are preserved if the tea is brewed correctly - without using boiling water.
Due to the fact that green tea has a more powerful effect on the body, today a lot of myths have arisen about the effect of this drink: some people say that tea greatly lowers blood pressure, others say, on the contrary, it increases it. Let's figure it out: does green tea lower blood pressure, or vice versa, increase it?
Properties of green tea that affect blood pressure
First of all, it should be noted that green tea is a natural diuretic. Many people pay attention to this fact from the positive side: they say that the drink thus rids the body of toxins, stimulates metabolism, strengthens the immune system, etc. However, this property of tea plays an important role in regulating blood pressure.
Another feature of green tea is its high caffeine content. In this regard, it can compete with natural coffee prepared in the usual way (not espresso): for example, green tea contains 1-4% caffeine, and natural coffee (excluding preparation from the Robusta variety) 1-2%.
It should also be clarified that the high content of tannin and caffeine in tea and their interaction during brewing stimulates nervous activity, which to one degree or another can affect blood pressure if its fluctuation is associated with autonomic disorders.
Does green tea lower blood pressure?
What is undeniable is that it is impossible to unambiguously determine whether green tea lowers blood pressure: you need to take into account the individual characteristics of the body. For example, the ability to adapt, which is supported by the work of the autonomic nervous system and the adrenal glands, plays a big role in pressure fluctuations.
If you are prone to low blood pressure, depressive and asthenic conditions, stable apathy, drinking green tea is not recommended, as in these cases it can lower blood pressure. For people with meteosensitivity and a diagnosis of vegetative-vascular dystonia of the hypotonic type, it is advisable to stop drinking this drink during periods of temperature fluctuations, but when external factors do not have a tendency to lower blood pressure, you can drink green tea.
Also, green tea, as a natural diuretic, can slightly lower blood pressure, so it is better for hypotensive patients to limit themselves to 1 cup of green tea per day.
The effect of green tea on blood pressure can be indirect in cases of disorders of the autonomic nervous system (when the cardiovascular system does not have pathologies, but the pressure “jumps”): due to the caffeine and tannin content, this drink stimulates nervous activity, irritating it, and if the body is exhausted and there are asthenic conditions, then naturally, caffeine will only “overload” the already depleted vegetation. If, on the contrary, the nervous system is overexcited, then naturally, caffeine will contribute to the complication of this condition.
Does green tea increase blood pressure?
It is difficult to say whether green tea raises blood pressure for the same reasons: you need to take into account the individual characteristics of the body. If a person is prone to high blood pressure due to disorders in the cardiovascular system, then it is likely that green tea will lower it due to its diuretic properties. It is even beneficial for people with high intracranial pressure to systematically drink 1-2 cups of green tea per day.
If blood pressure rises due to autonomic dysfunction, then green tea will likely increase blood pressure due to its high caffeine content.
How to brew green tea at low pressure?
The effect of strong green tea on low blood pressure is beneficial: to increase the caffeine content, while brewing, let the tea brew for at least 7 minutes.
How to brew green tea at high pressure?
To use green tea to lower blood pressure, brew a small amount of tea and let it steep for no longer than 1-2 minutes. Otherwise, due to its strength, it may increase blood pressure.
There is endless debate about how green tea affects the cardiovascular system in general, and blood pressure levels in particular. Some authors passionately argue that green tea miraculously lowers and stabilizes blood pressure, while others argue exactly the opposite.
Why might a person have high blood pressure? For several reasons: impaired vascular tone, impaired functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, kidney or adrenal disease, hormonal imbalances, a diseased heart, inflammation and injury, problems with the spine, muscle dystrophy.
A certain lifestyle leads to all of the above - alcohol abuse, smoking, unhealthy diet, lack of physical education as such, destructive behavioral reactions, etc. With low blood pressure, which is still not as dangerous as high blood pressure, the overall picture is cause-and-effect relationships are the same.
Read the previous paragraph carefully again and say, hand on heart, that you really believe that by drinking a cup of tea (or two, three - it doesn’t matter) every day, while continuing to live according to the old “McDonald’s-sofa-TV” scenario, you can get rid of high blood pressure? You can't.
Now, look at the veracity of the description of the medicinal properties of tea from the point of view of manufacturers. Tea companies are very rich companies and can afford to order serious research with a prepaid result. Competition, profits, excess profits - this is a serious motivation. Even Lepton tea powder (you don’t think it’s tea) enthusiastically describes the properties of the tea bags you just bought, and the promises of vigor and eternal youth. Do you believe this?
Or: imagine that you are a tea seller and, of course, you are trying to buy it cheaper and sell it more expensive (again, we are talking about profit). What articles will you write on the pages of your Internet resource to increase sales? Surely you will find the buyer’s pain point and put pressure on it. And health is that same eternal pain point, in the context of which blood pressure is located.
Green tea, which is real, and which is not available to most citizens of our large state due to its high cost or (for some varieties) remoteness from the places of growth and production, is undoubtedly a useful plant containing vitamins, microelements, essential oils, and tannins. substances, amino acids, etc. However, like any plant on Earth. Regular consumption of high-quality tea, in the general concept of a healthy lifestyle, will definitely have a positive effect. But tea, be it white, yellow, green, oolong or kudin, is not a panacea.
Does green tea lower blood pressure?
Does green tea lower blood pressure? Practically, it does not reduce. Caffeine, which is contained in large quantities in tea, stimulates the heart. And the heart increases the volume of blood pumped. Also, under the influence of caffeine, the vasomotor center in the brain, which is responsible for the condition of blood vessels, is activated. The vessels expand and, as you understand, there is no change in pressure.
In Japan and China, tea-producing countries, scientific research has long been carried out on the effect of green tea on the cardiovascular system, on the possibility of preventing and treating various heart diseases. Due to the fragmented knowledge of medicine about humans and the difficulty of conducting “pure” experiments, researchers have not yet taken upon themselves the responsibility to draw final conclusions.
Japanese scientists suggest that drinking tea by healthy people (I emphasize - healthy!) is likely to reduce the risk of myocardial infarction by 40% (which is quite a lot), and reduce the risk of hypertension. But this is just an assumption that requires further study. And although in Japan the percentage of hypertensive patients is much lower than in the rest of the world, and life expectancy is higher, researchers express the opinion that the massive consumption of green tea is not the only reason for this. There are many factors that contribute to this difference.
Chinese scientists from the National Cheng Kung University published a report on laboratory, clinical, and epidemiological studies on the effects of regular tea consumption on human health. Test statistics suggest that the risk of hypertension in healthy tea drinkers is 60-65% lower than in non-tea drinkers. Nevertheless, the main conclusion is the following: “... new evidence is required, which is planned to be obtained through long-term randomized prospective studies.”
Does green tea increase blood pressure?
Low blood pressure - arterial hypotension, like hypertension, is much more often a consequence of functional disorders of organs or body systems than an independent disease. It manifests itself as weakness, fatigue, sensitivity to weather changes, etc.
To increase blood pressure and stabilize it (read carefully), the following are recommended: sports, walks in the fresh air, contrast showers, healthy eating, peace of mind, long sleep, high-quality strong coffee and good green tea.
With low blood pressure, the caffeine contained in green tea normalizes blood vessels and increases heart rate. The pressure rises moderately and briefly. But you should not abuse this method of increasing pressure. An overdose of caffeine can have the opposite effect.
How does green tea normalize blood pressure?
Green tea by itself does not normalize blood pressure. Only with an integrated approach, drinking green (we emphasize once again - high-quality) tea will contribute to overall health, strengthening blood vessels, reducing the level of bad cholesterol and normalizing blood pressure.
Drink green tea for your health. It is truly unique in its composition, taste, and aroma.
Green tea is obtained from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Its dried leaves and buds are used to make different varieties of this drink. Tea is prepared by steaming and cooking, and then drying the raw materials. Unlike other varieties of this drink (black, oolong), green tea is not fermented. Therefore, it has many beneficial properties.
Green tea affects blood pressure differently depending on the frequency of consumption and the strength of the drink.
There are several conflicting studies on the effects of green tea on high blood pressure. Thus, in China, data were obtained that drinking 120–600 ml of green tea daily is associated with a lower risk of developing hypertension. In people who already have signs of hypertension, drinking green tea three times a day for a month reduces high blood pressure - systolic by 3.32 mm Hg, diastolic by 3.4 mm Hg.
Several smaller studies have shown that black and green tea have no effect on high blood pressure.
The drink is more beneficial for low blood pressure. Its effect is especially pronounced in older people who are prone to lower blood pressure levels after eating.
What is the difference between black tea and green tea
Black and green tea are obtained from the upper buds and leaves of the same plant. The difference between them is in the processing processes. To produce green tea, the leaves are collected, dried, and then heated by steaming (in the Japanese tradition) or roasting (in China). This process stops oxidation so the leaves retain their color and flavor.
During the production of black tea, the leaves are compressed, curled, and undergo fermentation and oxidation processes. As a result, they darken and acquire a more intense odor.
Differences between black and green tea:
- Amount of caffeine
- Antioxidant content
Both drinks contain antioxidants, which are essential for preventing cancer and other diseases. Different processing methods are the reason that black and green tea have different compositions, but equally useful substances with antioxidant properties.
What properties does green tea have?
Green tea is not fermented; high temperatures are used during its production. This process helps preserve polyphenol molecules in the leaves and buds, which are responsible for many of the beneficial properties of this drink.
Polyphenols have the following properties:
- prevent inflammation, swelling and destruction of joint cartilage, protect against the progression of osteoarthritis;
- are active against the papilloma virus and can slow down the formation of abnormal cells on the surface of the cervix, that is, its dysplasia; the mechanism of this action is not yet clear.
Green tea contains from 2 to 4% caffeine, which has a positive effect on thinking and mental activity, stimulates the formation of urine, and also increases the speed of transmission of nerve impulses in Parkinson's disease. Caffeine stimulates the nervous system, heart, and muscle tissue by causing brain cells to release activating substances called neurotransmitters.
Antioxidants, which green tea is rich in, protect the inner surface of blood vessels (endothelium) and heart muscle from the effects of hypoxia and the effects of toxic substances.
The benefits and harms of green tea for women and men
Green tea is useful for the following conditions and diseases:
- intense mental activity;
- non-alcoholic liver diseases, for example, fatty degeneration;
- inflammatory bowel diseases - ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease;
- obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes;
- intestinal disorders, nausea, loose stools;
- headache;
- Parkinson's disease;
- chronic fatigue syndrome;
- dental caries;
- urolithiasis disease;
- skin diseases.
Green tea is useful for pathologies of the heart, blood vessels, and low blood pressure.
Many believe that drinking green tea is useful for the prevention of cancer of the breast, cervix, prostate, colon, lungs, liver, skin, and leukemia.
Green tea lotions and compresses help with sunburn, swelling under the eyes, and bleeding of the gum socket after tooth extraction. Baths made from this infusion help to avoid fungal diseases, such as mycosis of the feet.
Finally, green tea mouth and throat gargles are used to prevent colds and gum disease.
Green tea is safe when consumed occasionally. However, in high doses it can have harmful effects on the body due to the caffeine it contains:
- headache, irritability;
- insomnia;
- nausea and loose stools;
- interruptions in heart function;
- muscle tremors;
- heartburn;
- dizziness and tinnitus.
It is also likely that this drink reduces the absorption of iron from food, which is dangerous for anemia.
Low blood pressure: symptoms
Low blood pressure, for which green tea is especially useful, can be suspected when a person develops the following symptoms:
People with hypotension may experience unpleasant symptoms when their blood pressure drops below 90/60. Symptoms of hypotension may include:
- fatigue;
- dizziness;
- nausea;
- cold clammy sweat;
- depressive disorders;
- fainting;
- blurred vision.
Such signs usually appear when blood pressure drops below 90/50 mm Hg. However, there are people who do not feel unpleasant symptoms even with such low pressure.
Main types of low blood pressure:
- orthostatic hypotension: pressure decreases when moving from a lying or sitting position to a standing position, occurs in people of any age; after changing body position, patients note the appearance of “stars” in the eyes and temporary blurred vision;
- postprandial hypotension: a drop in blood pressure occurs immediately after eating; develops more often in older people and patients with Parkinson's disease;
- neurogenic: such hypotension develops as a result of prolonged standing, usually occurs in children, as well as during emotional stress;
- severe, associated with a state of shock and insufficient blood supply to internal organs.
Symptoms of high blood pressure and the consequences of this phenomenon for human health
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is also dangerous for the human body. It may not be felt by the patient and can only be detected when measuring blood pressure with a tonometer. In other cases, increased pressure is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- severe headache, heaviness in the occipital region;
- fatigue, confusion;
- blurred vision, spots before the eyes;
- stabbing, aching, pressing pain in the chest;
- labored breathing;
- irregular heartbeat;
- the appearance of blood in the urine;
- feeling of heartbeat in the chest, neck vessels, ears, temples.
If high blood pressure is not reduced in time, the patient may develop a hypertensive crisis, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Untreated hypertension increases the risk of coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular accidents, kidney failure, and retinal dysfunction (retinopathy).
Does green tea increase blood pressure, and should people with hypotension use it?
All research and experience shows that green tea does not lower blood pressure. In some cases, it does not affect blood pressure, in others it increases them. It also increases heart rate and tones the body when consumed in reasonable quantities - up to 400 ml per day.
People with hypotension are recommended to drink green tea not only to increase blood pressure. This drink will help such patients feel more alert, more efficient, and will have a positive effect on frequent dizziness and fainting.
How often can you drink green tea?
The consumption of green tea has been studied in special studies. They helped clarify the useful amount of the drink at different blood pressure levels:
- with high blood pressure, patients drank a drink prepared by boiling 3 grams of tea in 150 ml of water, three times a day, 2 hours after meals, for a month;
- also showed benefit for high blood pressure with a dietary supplement containing 379 mg of green tea extract taken in the morning with meals for 3 months;
- for low blood pressure, the following regimen turned out to be most effective: 400 ml of tea before lunch.
Contraindications to drinking green tea
Children under 18 years of age should drink green tea with caution due to the possible toxic effects of caffeine. During pregnancy, you can drink no more than 2 cups of drink per day. If this dose is exceeded, the risk of miscarriage increases. It is also possible for folic acid deficiency to occur, which causes defects in the formation of the fetal nervous system. Breastfeeding women are also not recommended to drink more than 2 cups of green tea per day, as caffeine passes into breast milk.
Drinking green tea is undesirable for the following diseases and conditions:
- iron deficiency and folate deficiency anemia;
- anxiety disorders, nervous agitation;
- increased bleeding;
- heart rhythm disturbances;
- diabetes with poor blood sugar control (possibly hypoglycemic state);
- diarrhea;
- glaucoma: an increase in intraocular pressure after drinking the drink occurs within half an hour and persists for at least 90 minutes;
- poorly controlled high blood pressure;
- irritable bowel syndrome;
- severe osteoporosis;
- liver disease with severe impairment of its function, a significant increase in the content of bilirubin and liver enzymes in the blood.
Conclusion
Green tea contains antioxidants that protect the cells of the heart and blood vessels from damage, so it is useful for mild to moderate hypertension. At the same time, a cup of this drink may contain up to 40 mg of caffeine, which provokes heart rhythm disturbances or increased blood pressure. Therefore, green tea is best suited for people without interruptions in heart function, but with low blood pressure and corresponding symptoms, such as drowsiness.
Green tea is not a harmless remedy. There is a list of contraindications for its use, in particular, pregnancy and breastfeeding. The side effects of the drink are associated with the caffeine it contains, which stimulates heart function, muscle contractility, and nervous system activity.
The effect of green tea on the human body is individual. Therefore, deciding whether it will help a patient with high or low blood pressure can only be done experimentally. If you have an individual intolerance or deterioration in your health, it is better to avoid drinking this drink.
Video: Green tea lowers blood pressure - personal experience
Even specialists cannot answer this question, because... Green tea can have both a lowering and an increasing effect on blood pressure - it all depends on the brewing method, the personal characteristics of each person and the additives contained in the tea.
Green tea is a natural storehouse of antioxidants, microelements and vitamins. With its help, you can quench your thirst, prevent cancer, and also normalize blood pressure. How does green tea affect blood pressure?
Among experts, the effect of green tea on blood pressure has long been controversial - some claim that the drink increases blood pressure, others that it lowers it. Moreover, both sides support their opinions with research and arguments.
We can only answer unequivocally that green tea is much healthier than black tea - it contains a lot of natural antioxidants that have a beneficial effect on the walls of blood vessels, preventing the formation of blood clots. Such properties suggest that, in general, green tea has a very beneficial effect on the functionality of the cardiovascular system as a whole.
But how does green tea affect blood pressure?
For each individual person, the degree of influence of green tea on blood pressure depends on the characteristics of one’s own body, the presence of diseases and some other related factors. The drink triggers certain processes in the body - they will have a beneficial effect on some people, and negatively on others.
Scientists from Japan conducted an interesting experiment - people with high blood pressure drank green tea daily for a certain period of time. This led to pressure readings decreasing by an average of 5-10%. But for those who drank green tea irregularly, blood pressure standards did not change.
This suggests that the frequency, duration and regularity of drinking a green drink also has an impact on the ability of tea to increase or decrease blood pressure.
For a healthy person, drinking green tea on a regular basis significantly helps reduce the risk of hypertension by almost 65%, and also significantly prevents the development of heart attacks.
If you have any doubts about how this drink affects blood pressure, a person should be examined first so that a specialist can give a clear answer about their health status in order to safely add green tea to their daily diet.
Caffeine, which is contained in large quantities in tea, stimulates the heart. And the heart increases the volume of blood pumped. Also, under the influence of caffeine, the vasomotor center in the brain, which is responsible for the condition of blood vessels, is activated. When green tea reduces blood pressure
It is possible to note whether green tea lowers blood pressure only with long-term and daily consumption of the drink. An immediate decrease in blood pressure after drinking tea is usually not observed, although everything depends on each person’s body specifically.
With some disorders in the nervous system (for example, with vegetative-vascular dystonia, asthenia), after drinking green tea, blood pressure may decrease due to a combination of certain factors.
Which tea lowers blood pressure and under what conditions:
- You need to drink at least 1-2 cups a day for a long time;
- Take the drink no earlier than an hour before meals;
- Tea should not be diluted with milk or cream;
- The tea must be of good quality (usually these are expensive varieties);
- Tea should not contain flavored additives, dyes, or other impurities.
A decrease in blood pressure when drinking green tea is associated with the diuretic effect of the drink - a decrease in blood counts occurs due to the removal of excess fluid from the bloodstream and the entire body.
It has been noticed that green tea lowers blood pressure in combination with jasmine, mint, ginger, lemon, and lemon balm. Such teas are completely contraindicated for hypotensive people, because can significantly worsen the condition.
It is due to catechins that green tea gently reduces blood pressure and therefore can be an effective treatment for hypertension. When green tea increases blood pressure
Green tea contains a large amount of caffeine - much more than regular natural coffee. Along with xanthine, tannin, theobromine, caffeine contained in tea causes the heart muscle to contract intensively, as a result of which the blood vessels dilate and the functioning of the nervous system is stabilized.
Does green tea increase blood pressure? If you measure blood pressure, no significant changes will be observed - the effect of the tea components is short-term and unstable. But the general condition may improve - for example, headaches, which people with low blood pressure so often suffer from, will disappear.
If a person has disorders of autonomic function, then tea can significantly increase blood pressure, because nerve endings will be stimulated by caffeine.
Regular consumption of green tea significantly improves the elasticity of blood vessels and reduces cholesterol levels in the blood. All this reduces the likelihood of a heart attack and stroke. How to drink green tea correctly during pressure surges
The dual effect of green tea suggests that in order to reduce or increase blood pressure, you need to know how to drink the drink correctly and in what quantities, how to brew it, and who is allowed or prohibited from drinking it.
What you need to know:
- Iced green tea, not steeply brewed (brew for no more than two minutes), can lower blood pressure. This drink is suitable for high blood pressure, as well as for people suffering from heart failure.
- Hot green tea, brewed strongly (at least 7-8 minutes of brewing process), is recommended for people with low blood pressure. This drink first slightly raises blood pressure, and then normalizes the levels.
- To achieve the desired effect in blood pressure stability, you need to drink tea regularly and daily, 30 or 60 minutes before meals.
- Do not dilute tea with milk, sugar or other additives, as this may reduce the desired effect. If necessary, it is better to add a little honey to it.
- Drink only high-quality and freshly brewed tea.
- Do not abuse the amount of tea you drink - no more than 3-5 cups a day, but in no case in liters in anticipation of an instant effect.
In severe forms of chronic hypertension, it is better to completely abandon such a drink (it doesn’t matter whether it’s black or green tea). It is also better to refrain from using it during an exacerbation of any chronic disease, because... the effects of tea can have an unpredictable effect on the development of the pathological process.
People with peptic ulcers, chronic gastritis, arthrosis, rheumatism and arthritis, as well as people with sleep disorders, tachycardia and nervous excitability should not experiment with the effect of green tea on blood pressure.
It is common knowledge that green tea may contain more caffeine than coffee. In general, it leads to stimulation of the nervous system, and therefore people with a depleted nervous system may experience problems with sleep and loss of energy for no apparent reason. It’s better not to drink green tea at all before bed; you risk insomnia
Answering the question, does green tea increase or decrease blood pressure, we can safely say that it normalizes blood pressure levels, improving the functioning of all human systems and organs:
- Increases the elasticity of vascular walls;
- Promotes weight regulation;
- Prevents the formation of atherosclerotic plaques;
- Removes excess liquid;
- Normalizes blood clotting processes, prevents thrombus formation;
- Has a vasodilating effect;
- Improves the supply of oxygen to brain cells through the bloodstream.
Green tea can be drunk by both healthy people and hypotensive and hypertensive people, if there are no associated pathologies and conditions. If you don’t have time to visit doctors, then you need to independently monitor your condition: before drinking tea and after drinking tea, you need to measure your blood pressure, and then carefully monitor your feelings.
In case of sudden surges in blood pressure, you should not use green tea as a medicine only based on the reviews of other people - it is better to seek advice and recommendations from a doctor.
The most popular drink that people drink most often is this tea. Its green varieties are considered the most useful. Few people know that if you choose it correctly, brew it and drink it, it can have a healing effect on the body. It is especially necessary for people with a tendency to pressure surges to know about this. An unfavorable environment, stress, and physical activity are considered common factors for this phenomenon. Therefore, it is important for everyone to know whether green tea increases or decreases blood pressure.
Properties
Opinions differ about the effectiveness of this drink. Many scientists cannot say for sure whether green tea increases or decreases blood pressure. You can be sure that it is much healthier than black varieties. It produces the following effects within minutes of administration:
- tonic;
- diuretic;
- prevents fat peroxidation;
- hypotensive;
- stimulates brain function;
- normalizes glucose levels;
- has a beneficial effect on the reproductive and hematopoietic systems.
In some cases, regardless of whether such a drink increases or decreases blood pressure, it causes heart palpitations and headaches.
Compound
The effect of green tea on blood pressure is based on its chemical composition. Young leaves contain large amounts of antioxidant compounds. Their job is to protect body tissues from free radicals that damage cells. This drink contains the following components:
- Tannins. These include polyphenols, tannins, catechins and other derivative compounds based on them. When combined with caffeine, stimulation of the nervous and cardiovascular systems is noted.
- Alkaloids. Green tea is also beneficial for hypertension due to its caffeine content. In addition to it there is theophylline and theobromine. The task of such substances is to dilate blood vessels. Green tea contains caffeine, but it is bound and not free. This compound is called theine. It has a milder effect and is eliminated from the body faster. It is difficult to understand exactly whether theine lowers or increases blood pressure. This is due to individual sensitivity to it.
- Enzymes and amino acids. The Japanese variety of the drink is considered to be the richest in these compounds. Tea lowers blood pressure and helps fight excess weight.
- Vitamins. It contains more of them than some fruits. They help not only normalize the functioning of the cardiovascular system, but also strengthen the immune system. Green tea can increase the amount of vitamin A several times. There is more of it in the drink than in carrots. B3 enhances the production of red blood cells and normalizes cholesterol levels.
- Microelements. The most useful are calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, and fluorine. Hot green tea loses some of it during the brewing process.
Polyphenolic substances or catechins that green tea contains have an anti-inflammatory effect. It reduces pathological processes in the walls of the arteries of the whole body and especially the brain.
The formation of atherosclerotic plaques in the lumen of blood vessels is especially dangerous in hypertension. This phenomenon is associated with inflammation in the endothelium of the arteries. In addition to increased pressure, there is also a deposition of harmful cholesterol in the lumen of blood vessels. The most dangerous condition is considered to occur during a hypertensive crisis. When drinking this drink daily, the catechins contained in its composition have a protective effect. The inner lining of the arteries needs this most.
Polyphenols in the tea drink reduce the permeability of the capillary wall. Additionally, they have the ability to neutralize harmful compounds that are dangerous to the function of the cardiovascular system. In addition, polyphenols reduce tissue swelling and reduce blood viscosity.
Tea can stimulate the kidneys, which allows you to increase the daily amount of urine excreted. Medications can achieve the same effect. Diuretics are especially often used when the patient has hypertension.
In people with a tendency to lower blood pressure, the effect of green tea is the opposite. In some cases, with hypotension, it may fall even further. Due to the presence of caffeine in its composition, this drink most often provokes an increase in blood pressure. The level of this substance is several times higher than in coffee.
When signs of low blood pressure appear (weakness, dizziness), many are interested in which tea is more effective - the black or green variety. Both have the same effect, but the second contains many useful substances. It is also recommended if you are overweight.
Is it possible to drink green tea with high blood pressure?
The green drink is considered the most beneficial (compared to coffee for hypertensive patients). Many people wonder whether it is possible to drink it, and in what quantities it will be possible to achieve a therapeutic effect. He is quickly able to cope with the symptoms that appear during vegetative-vascular dystonia of the hypertensive type.
It is also important to know how green tea affects blood pressure in hypertension. To cope with high levels, you need to drink it constantly. Hypertensive patients are advised to take only a cool drink. You can get the desired effect by drinking no more than 3-4 cups of green tea per day.
If you have high blood pressure, you should not forget about drug therapy. Due to the diuretic effect it has, potassium is excreted. A deficiency of this microelement and an excess of caffeine leads to a weakening of the heart muscle. For this reason, disorders occur that affect the contractility of cardiomyocytes. This is manifested by arrhythmia of varying severity.
Its effect on hypotension
People with high blood pressure and hypotension are also allowed to drink it. In this condition, you can expect different reactions after drinking tea. The effect of caffeine and tannin on the body with low blood pressure in rare cases provokes an even greater drop.
A positive result can be achieved due to the following effects:
- diuretic effect;
- expansion of the lumen of blood vessels;
- removal of toxic substances.
It is recommended to drink hot green tea for hypotension. It is possible to increase the pressure by about 10-20% of the initial values. It is necessary to increase it with a hard-brewed drink. It is not recommended to drink more than 4 cups per day. The restrictions for hypotensive patients are the same as for high blood pressure.
Contraindications
The drink contains a number of positive qualities. Regardless of whether green tea raises or lowers blood pressure, it has limitations for consumption. It is not allowed when:
- constant pressure surges;
- diseases of the thyroid gland;
- diabetes mellitus;
- in combination with other drugs;
- for insomnia;
- elevated body temperature.
Green tea increases blood pressure, or reduces it when brewed correctly and in accordance with the daily amount. It is better to replace the drink with one that does not contain tannins. They delay the penetration of iron compounds into the blood. This condition is especially dangerous in people with a tendency to anemia.
In large quantities, the effect of green tea on the body leads to undesirable consequences. They most often occur in people with hypersensitivity to caffeine. You can reduce the risk of unpleasant symptoms by reducing the daily amount of green tea or completely abandoning it.
The most common symptoms are weakness, insomnia, irritability, and an allergic reaction. You can eliminate the negative impact by following the rules for brewing the drink and drinking it. It is important to remember that you should not drink stale tea. It accumulates bad substances and caffeine, which neutralize the beneficial properties. Do not drink green tea with alcoholic drinks. This is associated with entry and reaction. After this, aldehydes are formed, which are considered toxic to the kidneys and liver.
These positive and negative aspects of green tea affect the body in different ways. This reaction is associated with individual characteristics. Antioxidant properties stimulate brain function, supply tissues with oxygen and support normal blood clotting.
- How to brew it correctly for a therapeutic effect?
- Conclusion
Does green tea increase or decrease blood pressure? How does it affect the body and can hypertensive patients drink it? The article provides answers to these and other questions that interest everyone who switches from black to green tea. It would be more correct to say that it normalizes blood pressure, but more on that below.
Despite its undeniable usefulness, It is difficult to definitively answer the question whether green tea lowers or increases blood pressure. It all depends on the individual nuances of a particular person’s body: the condition of its blood vessels, the degree of disruption of the cardiovascular and nervous system, etc.
Different experts think differently. Some are sure that this drink lowers blood pressure, while others believe that it increases it. Moreover, each of them supports their opinion with arguments and evidence. One thing is certain: green tea is much healthier than black tea. To obtain such tea, the leaves of the tea bush undergo a shorter fermentation time, not exceeding 2–3 days, with enzymatic oxidation of the leaves by 12%. The enzymatic process of black tea lasts about a month, with oxidation reaching up to 80%. In the latter case, the raw materials lose much more useful properties than in the first. This proves that black tea is less healthy.
Let's try to figure out how green tea affects the body, what properties it has, and in what cases it increases and in what cases it decreases blood pressure.
Does green tea raise or lower blood pressure?
For each person, the degree of usefulness of tea is determined based on the individual characteristics of the body and the presence of diseases. This drink activates certain processes that are desirable for some people and not for others.
Interesting fact: Japanese scientists have proven that regular consumption of green tea by hypertensive patients led to a decrease in blood pressure by an average of 5-10%. They made these conclusions after completing an experiment in which people suffering from hypertension had to drink green tea every day for several months. With single or irregular consumption of the drink, the indicators of the cardiovascular system did not change.
Drinking green tea by healthy people can reduce the likelihood of developing arterial hypertension by 60–65% and reduce the risk of heart attack by 40%.
When can green tea lower blood pressure?
If you drink the drink irregularly, after meals, with milk, then most often it will not affect blood pressure (abbreviated as A/D). Although it all depends on the characteristics of the individual person’s body. Tea can lower blood pressure due to its diuretic effect: the removal of fluid from the body and bloodstream leads to a decrease in A/D.
With asthenia, vegetative-vascular dystonia of the hypotonic type, or other dysfunctions of the autonomic nervous system, the pressure in some people may decrease slightly. To obtain a noticeable hypotensive effect, it is necessary to systematically drink the drink for a long time, half an hour to an hour before meals and without milk. It is worth considering that tea leaves must be of very good quality without aromatic additives, impurities, or dyes. The price of such tea is very high and, most often, it cannot be found in regular stores.
10 ways to help determine the quality of tea leaves. Click on photo to enlarge Types of quality green tea leaves. Click on photo to enlarge
When can green tea increase blood pressure?
Does green tea increase blood pressure? Yes, such an effect is possible. An increase in A/D after drinking a drink is associated with a large amount of caffeine. Green tea competes with natural coffee in caffeine content. Moreover, the advantage goes towards the first. Everyone believes that coffee contains the highest amount of caffeine, but this is not correct - green tea contains 4 times more caffeine.
Caffeine, tannin, xanthine, theobromine, and other substances stimulate the nervous system and heart function, due to which the heart rate increases and blood pressure may increase slightly. But this effect is short-term, unstable, and is compensated by vasodilation due to activation of the vasomotor center of the brain, which is responsible for the condition of blood vessels. Therefore, there is no point in talking about a noticeable increase in pressure.
If the increase in blood pressure is associated with autonomic dysfunction, then the drink will likely increase A/D due to caffeine's stimulation of the nervous system. At the same time, the headache that appears due to low blood pressure will be relieved.
Green tea normalizes blood pressure
- increase the elasticity of the walls of blood vessels and prevent the deposition of atherosclerotic plaques on them;
- maintain normal blood clotting, preventing the formation of blood clots;
- promote weight loss;
- remove excess fluid from the body;
- improve blood supply to brain cells with oxygen;
- have vasodilating properties.
Caffeine stimulates the heart and, together with cahetin, simultaneously dilates blood vessels. Therefore, even if A/D initially increased, then it will return to normal. Thanks to this, green tea is excellent for daily consumption by both healthy people and hypertensive or hypotensive people.
Rules for brewing and drinking green tea Chinese tea ceremony
How this drink affects blood pressure depends on the method of brewing it, the quantity and frequency of use:
- Weakly brewed cool green tea lowers blood pressure due to its diuretic effect. It is suitable for hypertensive patients, people with heart failure or increased intracranial pressure. In this case, you need to brew tea leaves for no longer than 2 minutes.
- A strong, hot drink can first increase blood pressure and then normalize it. Well suited for people with low A/D values. To saturate the drink with caffeine, let the brew brew for at least 7 minutes.
- To get the desired effect from a cup of green tea, you need to drink it within 30–60 minutes. before meals. Regularity is also important.
- Do not add sugar or milk to the drink, as this will lose its beneficial properties. For taste, you can add a spoon or two of honey.
- Drink only freshly brewed tea.
- Do not brew green tea with boiling water. After boiling, filtered water should cool slightly. In China, brewing and drinking tea is a whole ritual that is performed slowly and in strict sequence.
- Drink in moderation (1-3 cups per day), and not in liters in the hope of achieving an immediate effect.
Rules for drinking green tea for medicinal effectConclusion
If you have a tendency to increase or decrease arterial A/D, then it is better to monitor your condition yourself after drinking tea. The average brewing time for dry leaves is 3–5 minutes. Brew tea, but don't rush to drink it. Listen to your body, measure your A/D yourself and monitor your feelings before and after drinking the drink. This is the only way to understand how it will affect your body.
Due to its unique taste and aroma qualities, green tea has become a favorite drink all over the world. Due to its beneficial properties, it is actively used in medicine in China, Japan, and India. The fact that research into the healing power of green tea is being carried out everywhere, including in the most developed countries of Europe and America, indicates a growing interest in this product from not only Asian doctors.
However, if the effectiveness of green tea as an antioxidant that cleanses the body of waste and toxins has been proven, then the issue of the drink’s effect on blood pressure is still a subject of heated debate in medical circles.
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Whether green tea increases or decreases a person’s blood pressure, or is not able to have any effect on it at all - even on these issues no consensus has been reached. Making another attempt to understand this problem, it is necessary to remember why, in general, a person’s blood pressure may change, and what exactly in green tea increases or decreases it.
Causes of pressure disorders
- diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
- problems in the digestive system;
- improper kidney function;
- hormonal disorders;
- dysfunction of the spine;
- muscle wasting.
The prerequisites for the development of these problems, as a rule, are: incorrect, insufficiently active lifestyle, unhealthy and balanced diet, Availability bad habits And so on. It will not be possible to break such a system of cause-and-effect relationships just like that, with the help of green tea alone, no matter how much you drink this magical drink. Only an integrated approach based on changing the way of life “fundamentally” will be truly effective.
Long-term perspective
The huge amount of useful microelements in this drink, although it is not able to independently cure the mentioned ailments, can nevertheless be an effective addition to the main course of treatment. In this sense, the effect of green tea on blood pressure is quite reasonable, although it is indirect and does not appear immediately. For example:
- Thiamine (vitamin B1) lowers blood sugar levels, and niacin (vitamin B3) lowers cholesterol. These vitamins are also prescribed for disorders of the cardiovascular system and increased muscle tone. The content of these vitamins in 100 grams of green tea is 0.6 mg each.
- Taking tocopherol (vitamin E) reduces the risk of developing coronary heart disease. Certain varieties of green tea contain more of this element than wheat germ, which is one of the richest sources of vitamin E.
- Vitamin U is effective in the fight against gastritis and ulcers, and vitamin P strengthens the walls of blood vessels. The body's daily need for these substances can be met with three cups of fresh tea.
- It has already been proven that green tea helps remove excess fluid from the body and generally reduces body weight. And the fact that overweight people are diagnosed with hypertension many times more often than others is no secret.
Another circumstance that makes one debate whether green tea lowers blood pressure is the presence of catechin in the leaves. Its share in tea is about 40%; it is to this substance that the drink owes its astringent taste. But not only taste: the polyphenol catechin is able to absorb excess cholesterol and affect the elasticity of blood vessels. By thinning the blood, it reduces its pressure.
This property of this biologically active substance allows it to be considered an effective means of preventing heart attack and stroke - phenomena that, unfortunately, are not uncommon with high blood pressure.
Regular consumption of a properly brewed drink ensures the constant presence of these and other beneficial microelements from green tea in the body, reduces the content of harmful toxins, and makes it an effective preventative against many diseases.
There are no specific figures indicating that green tea lowers or increases blood pressure. Even after conducting a large number of studies, doctors from tea-producing countries do not dare to definitively answer the question of how it affects blood pressure.
Statistics in Japan show that people in this country are 40% less likely to experience hypertensive crises and myocardial infarctions. This is a high figure, but it is hardly worth chalking it up to green tea alone. With the same success, one can argue that this is the merit of special varieties of rice that grow only in this region, or something else. That is, it is not yet possible to talk about the purity of such research.
Moreover, it is impossible to extrapolate these data to the countries of the former USSR, since real high-quality green tea is not so easy to find on the market due to its high cost and difficulty of delivery. Some varieties are not exported from Asian countries at all.
Short term
When asked whether green tea increases blood pressure, one would like to immediately answer: “Yes! But what about it? There’s so much caffeine in there!” Indeed, green tea contains 4 times more caffeine than coffee beans. Once in the blood, it increases blood pressure, causing the heart to pump more blood. At the same time, caffeine stimulates the functioning of blood vessels, which, by expanding, minimize the “lifting” effect.
For a healthy person, these changes occur unnoticed. But for people suffering from hypertension, abuse of this drink becomes dangerous. With chronically high blood pressure, even short-term effects of caffeine can make you feel worse.
With low blood pressure, a cup of green tea can relieve headaches by normalizing it. However, it is not recommended to use this method for hypotension - chronically low blood pressure. Like coffee, green tea is addictive when consumed for a long time, and in case of an overdose, caffeine has the exact opposite effect: instead of a tonic effect, there will be inhibition of brain activity and loss of strength.
But the following will help bring the pressure back to normal and consolidate the effect:
- daily exercise;
- walks in the open air;
- proper nutrition;
- cold and hot shower;
- regime rest.
Does green tea increase blood pressure - yes. Is it a panacea for the treatment of hypotension or hypertension - no.
The highest level of competition in the market forces sellers to find increasingly sophisticated methods of promoting their products. Unfortunately, those who produce and sell green tea today often attribute to this drink properties that it does not possess. In any case, not to the extent that it can be presented on the packaging. Health is a painful point for any person. In order not to become a victim of speculative propaganda, you should understand that what is beautifully described on the package does not mean useful, and expensive does not mean high quality.
The only thing that is certain is that freshly brewed green tea lifts your mood, improves your tone, gives you vigor and motivates you to go for a walk - and then, lo and behold, your blood pressure returns to normal.
Undoubtedly, everyone knows that it has important beneficial properties for humans, because it is not for nothing that it is called a pharmacy in a cup. It has been scientifically proven that green tea lowers blood pressure, and this is not the only reason for its effect. The healing and health-improving properties of the drink were known back in ancient times and this drink was used for a long time to prevent and even treat a variety of diseases.
This wonderful drink contains various minerals, a large number of vitamins and bioactive substances that strengthen the immune system and thus have a beneficial effect on the human body. By the way, out of ten foods that improve health and promote longevity, green tea is called the first.
Green tea only if consumed regularly. Also, drinking this drink makes you sleep better, the nervous system stronger, the heart functioning more actively, it dilates blood vessels, relieving their spasms and thereby normalizing blood pressure, as well as accelerating blood circulation, that is, it acts as an antispasmodic. Japanese scientists have found that in people suffering from hypertension, with fairly regular consumption of the drink, blood pressure decreases by ten and even twenty percent. We should not forget that only properly brewed green tea lowers blood pressure.
The birthplace of green tea is the East, and there the preparation of this drink is associated with special traditions and ceremonies. Europeans, in most cases, brew it incorrectly, as a result of which some of the beneficial properties are lost. A lot depends on the container in which the tea is brewed. It must be brewed in special cups with lids, because green tea is not additionally diluted with boiling water. But you can brew it and it must be absolutely dry and well heated.
Take one teaspoon of tea leaves per glass of water. It is better to take soft water with a small amount of minerals. There is no need to boil it, but only bring it to the “white key” state, that is, until bubbles appear. You can brew green tea in different ways, here is one of them.
Take two liter containers, one of which has a spout. Pour the tea leaves into it and immediately pour boiling water over it. After ten seconds, the tea is poured into another container. With this method of brewing, the aromatic bouquet of tea is not distorted, and the tea itself acquires an amber color. You can pour dry tea leaves up to half the volume of water and let it brew for about three minutes, then add the remaining water and let it sit for another five minutes.
But you need to remember that only high-quality green tea lowers blood pressure. It cannot be said that low-quality green tea has at least some beneficial properties, since it does not contain valuable medicinal and dietary substances.
Antihypertensive tea is drunk after meals three times a day and no less. To enhance the effect of tea, you can additionally take ascorbic acid or add lemon to the tea. Those people who do not like sour things can add currant jam to tea or just currant jam. In hot weather, people suffering from hypertension can drink a weak infusion of green tea instead of water.
We must not forget that this product contains caffeine, so green tea in large quantities increases blood pressure. Therefore, in hypotensive people, this drink causes a slight increase in blood pressure. However, people with low blood pressure should also not abuse this medicine, since in large quantities green tea can cause some heart rhythm disturbances. It’s not for nothing that they say that you need to observe moderation in everything.
So is green tea still or does it enhance it? The effect of green tea on our body is ambiguous, and even nutritionists have not yet come to a common opinion. Obviously, in each specific case the individual characteristics of the organism come into play...
