Acute Effect of Honey-sweetened Coffee on Blood Pressure, Heart Rate and Blood Glucose Level in Healthy Female Subjects

BACKGROUND: The consumption of coffee as a beverage and honey as a sweetener is prevalent worldwide, with each having potential health implications. However, studies on the combined effect of coffee and honey on blood pressure, heart rate, and blood glucose level are lacking. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to determine whether a three-day consumption of honey- sweetened coffee will significantly alter the systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and fasting blood glucose (BG) levels in young, healthy female adults. METHODS: Thirty participants studying at the University of Uyo, aged 18 to 26 years, were randomly assigned to three groups: control, coffee, and honey-sweetened coffee groups with 10 subjects each. The control group was given 250 mL of warm water, the coffee group was given 2.25 g of coffee dissolved in 250 mL of hot water, and the honey-sweetened coffee group was given 2.25 g of coffee with 20 mL of honey dissolved in 250 mL of hot water for three consecutive days. Before the start of the experiment, the subjects were asked to rest by sitting comfortably for 15 minutes. Baseline measurements of blood pressure, heart rate, and blood glucose were taken and recorded before the consumption of the assigned beverage. Follow-up measurements were taken at 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes after consumption for blood pressure and heart rate and 30 and 60 minutes for blood glucose level. This procedure was repeated for three days. RESULTS: The results showed no significant changes in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and blood glucose level in the coffee and honey-sweetened coffee groups compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study revealed that honey-sweetened coffee has no acute effect on blood pressure, heart rate, and blood glucose level in healthy female individuals. It can, therefore, be concluded that honey-sweetened coffee has a neutral effect on these physiological parameters, but a more elaborate study is highly recommended.