Blood pressure is often a cause of concern, since it is directly related to the life expectancy of an individual. Drinking more coffee, it has been discovered, can actually be beneficial and tackle high blood pressure, thereby leading to a longer life!

Coffee drinking and its health effects have been a much discussed issue for a long time. A recent Greek research, however, has come up with the findings that drinking one to two cups of coffee a day can actually lower the risk of blood pressure.

Blood pressure is believed to be caused by the thickening of blood vessels as we grow older. Drinking coffee may, however, combat the process and help in retaining the elasticity of the vessels, thus lowering the risk of high blood pressure.

Blood pressure tests were conducted on 485 men and women aged between 65 and 100 in Ikaria, Greece. The test was carried out by Christina Chrysohoou, BSc, from the University of Athens, who undertook the research to discover the secret to the long life that the people of Ikaria enjoyed in general!

Each participant in the test underwent imaging scans to ascertain the stiffness of his / her blood vessels. The study also took into count a number of other factors that affect blood pressure such as age, sex, smoking, physical activity, body weight and dietary habits.

Of those tested, 33% drank almost no coffee, 56% drank one to two cups a day, and 11% drank three or more. It was found that people in the median group, i.e., those who drank one or two cups a day had 25% more elasticity in their vessels than the former group and five times more elasticity than the latter.

Coffee drinking in moderation, that is about one or two cups a day, can actually be a good idea. The study further reveals that those who drank coffee in the recommended levels also had a lesser risk of contracting diabetes, high cholesterol, and other cardiovascular diseases.