Introduction

• Blood pressure is the measurement of your blood's force on the walls of your blood vessels. Your blood vessels include your arteries, veins and capillaries. Blood pressure is an important concept, as it helps propel the oxygen and nutrients your body needs to survive throughout your entire system. Unfortunately, when blood pressure becomes too high, it can potentially damage the blood vessels. Two substances that can contribute to higher blood pressure, when not used in moderation, are alcohol and caffeine.
  
  

Alcohol

• According to the American Heart Association, drinking alcohol in moderation can have potentially beneficial effects on your heart. However, "in moderation" means only one or two drinks a day for men, and only one drink a day for women. Once you start consuming more than this, your blood pressure can start to be negatively affected. Alcohol does this first by interfering with the blood flow to the heart by pushing nutrient-rich blood away from the heart. Alcohol is also high in calories, which contributes to obesity, which in turn also raises blood pressure levels. According to the Mayo Clinic, if you are currently taking medications for high blood pressure, alcohol can interfere with their ability to work, putting you at an even higher risk of dangerously high blood pressure levels.
  
  

Caffeine

• Caffeine can also be beneficial in moderation. According to Men's Health, caffeine can help keep dopamine molecules active and can also help fight off Alzheimer's. However, just like alcohol, when not used in moderation, caffeine can also have damaging effects on your blood pressure. Caffeine affects blood pressure by narrowing blood vessels. It does this by binding with adenosine receptors in the body, which blocks adenosine from being able to work correctly. Adenosine is a hormone that is partially responsible for helping keep blood vessels wide enough for blood to pass through easily. Caffeine also stimulates the release of adrenaline and cortisol from the adrenal glands. One of the side effects of the release of these chemicals into the blood stream is an increase in blood pressure.