Caffeine and Blood Pressure

Mayo Clinic emeritus hypertension specialist Dr. Sheldon C. Sheps suggests that if you or your doctor are concerned about caffeine's effect on your blood pressure, try limiting the amount of caffeine you drink to 200 milligrams a day - about the same as in two 12-ounce cups of brewed coffee.  He also advises to be cognizant of the amount of caffeine in your preferred brand of coffee as different brands vary as to how much caffeine is in the coffee.  One other of his valuable suggestions is to avoid caffeine right before activities that naturally increase your blood pressure anyway like exercise. 

Dr. Sheps suggests that a way of checking to see if caffeine is raising your blood pressure is to check your blood pressure within 30 to 60 minutes of drinking a cup of coffee or other caffeinated beverage.  If your blood pressure is elevated by five to 10 points then, you may have a caffeine sensitivity as it concerns your blood pressure.

I recently found out that my doctor recommends the same amount of daily intake of coffee - two cups.  No more.