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General Medicine & Health Science Fair Project

Caffeine and Blood Pressure

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Caffeine and Blood Pressure | Science Fair Projects | STEM Projects
Does drinking a caffeinated soda change your blood pressure? Caffeine is found in many drinks. This project measures whether it raises or lowers blood pressure readings. You measure the blood pressure of thirteen volunteers before they drink anything. Then each person drinks a can of Diet Pepsi. After 45 to 55 minutes you take another reading. Each person then drinks a second can and waits again before a final reading. The results showed no clear pattern. Some volunteers had higher readings. Others had lower readings. The mixed results suggest the effect varies from person to person.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that when caffeine is consumed in large amounts it will increase the blood pressure.

Method & Materials

You will measure the blood pressure of 6th grade girls before and after drinking a can of Diet Pepsi, and then calculate the difference.
You will need a sphygmomanometer, 13 6th grade female students, 26 cans of Diet Pepsi, 13 straws, and a chart.

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Results

The results of the experiment varied from person to person, with no clear pattern. Some subjects showed an increase in blood pressure, but too many did not. This leads us to reject the hypothesis that caffeine increases blood pressure.

Why do this project?

This science project is interesting because it tests the effects of caffeine on the blood pressure of 6th grade girls, which is something that is not often studied.

Also Consider

Variations of this experiment could include testing the effects of caffeine on different age groups, or testing the effects of different types of caffeinated beverages.

Full project details

Additional information and source material for this project are available below.

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