According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly half of all adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure, known as hypertension. This statistic is literally killing us: In 2023 (the most recent year for which stats are available), high blood pressure was a primary or contributing cause of 664,470 deaths in the U.S.
If you currently have hypertension—or are at risk for it—you’ve likely had a conversation with your doctor about your diet. “Dietary patterns play a major role in blood pressure control,” says Dr. Sam Setareh, MD, a cardiologist with Beverly Hills Cardiovascular. For those actively trying to manage their blood pressure, he recommends the DASH diet, an eating plan that was specifically developed to lower blood pressure. This way of eating prioritizes fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and foods with unsaturated fats while minimizing foods high in sodium.
“According to the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, the DASH diet is the most effective dietary pattern for blood pressure reduction, with clinical trials showing systolic reductions of 1 to 13 mm Hg and diastolic reductions of 1 to 10 mm Hg. The effect tends to be greatest among Black individuals, adults with higher baseline blood pressure, younger individuals and those with higher sodium intake,” Dr. Setareh says.
Perhaps you already know that minimizing sodium intake is important. You’re more curious about how caffeine impacts blood pressure. For example, the benefits of green tea are often talked about, but will the caffeine cause your blood pressure to go up? This is especially important to know if you drink at least one cup of green tea every day. Keep reading to find out how drinking green tea every day can impact your blood pressure.
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How Does Green Tea Impact Blood Pressure?
Let’s clear up any confusion right now: Green tea is a great drink for heart health, including for people with hypertension. Dr. Setareh says that it positively impacts blood pressure in a few different ways. One way is that it lowers inflammation due to its high antioxidant content.
“Green tea contains high concentrations of catechins, particularly EGCG, which support vascular health through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pathways. Meta-analyses show that green tea consumption can reduce systolic blood pressure by approximately 2.0 to 3.2 mm Hg and diastolic pressure by 1.0 to 3.4 mm Hg. While the effect is modest, it is clinically meaningful when incorporated into a comprehensive heart-healthy lifestyle,” Dr. Setareh says.
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How does lowering inflammation reduce blood pressure? Dr. Setareh explains that EGCG enhances nitric oxide production. This reduces arterial stiffness, which allows for better blood flow. He adds that when there’s less inflammation, there is less stress on the cardiovascular system. This is important because inflammation is a major driver of cardiovascular disease.
Besides lowering blood pressure by reducing inflammation, Dr. Setareh says that green tea catechins improve lipid profiles (the amount of fat in the blood) by reducing intestinal lipid absorption. This leads to lower LDL cholesterol. To this point, scientific research shows that regularly drinking green tea can significantly lower LDL cholesterol.
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Does the Caffeine in Green Tea Negatively Impact Blood Pressure?
While it’s clear that green tea can positively impact both blood pressure and cholesterol, you may still be wondering about its caffeine content. Doesn’t consuming caffeine increase blood pressure?
“Although caffeine can cause a temporary rise in blood pressure, long-term studies show that regular green tea consumption leads to net reductions in blood pressure despite its caffeine content,” Dr. Setareh explains. In other words, the long-term impact green tea has on blood pressure outweighs the temporary rise it can cause.
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Dr. Setareh points out that the caffeine content in green tea is significantly lower than the caffeine content in coffee. An 8-ounce cup of green tea has 20 to 50 milligrams of caffeine, while an 8-ounce cup of coffee has 95 milligrams of caffeine. According to the American Heart Association, a moderate amount of caffeine positively impacts heart health.
While the caffeine in green tea isn’t harmful, Dr. Setareh says that it’s the antioxidants in green tea (specifically polyphenols) that make it such a heart-healthy drink, not the caffeine. “For most people, one to three cups of green tea a day is safe and unlikely to worsen blood pressure. Individuals with uncontrolled hypertension, arrhythmias or known caffeine sensitivity may want to monitor their response, but generally tolerate green tea well,” he says.
Drinking green tea every day is beneficial for everyone’s heart health, including those with hypertension. When you savor a cup of green tea, you truly are drinking to your health.
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Sources:
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Dr. Sam Setareh, MD, cardiologist with Beverly Hills Cardiovascular
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High Blood Pressure Facts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Juraschek, J.P., Miller, E.R. III, Weaver, C.M., et al. (2017). DASH Diet, Sodium, and Baseline Blood Pressure. American College of Cardiology.
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Managing Blood Pressure with a Heart-Healthy Diet. American Heart Association
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Xu, R., Yang, K., Ding, J., et al. (2020). Effect of green tea supplementation on blood pressure. Medicine. (Baltimore). 99(6):e19047
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Black, P.H. and Garbutt, L. D. (2002). Stress, inflammation and cardiovascular disease. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 52(1):1-23
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Xu, R., Yang, K., Dai, M., et al. (2020). Effect of green tea supplementation on blood lipids: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutrition Journal. 19:48. doi: 10.1186/s12937-020-00557-5
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Caffeine and Heart Disease. American Heart Association
This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the Health & Wellness section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.