People with high blood pressure are often told to avoid too much coffee because caffeine can raise blood pressure.
But researchers in Italy found that people who drank two cups of coffee had lower blood pressure than non-coffee drinkers and for those who drank 3 or more cups a day, it was even lower.
It is possible that antioxidants and other compounds found in coffee may counter the blood pressure-raising effects of caffeine.
If you have high blood pressure, talk to your doctor about how much coffee is safe for you.
Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.