How to Reduce Blood Pressure
Sunday, October 25th, 2009
No high blood pressure can be considered safe. Even if your blood pressure stays only marginally above the normal levels there is increased risk of organ damage, heart attack and stroke. And of course the higher it rises and the longer it stays like that the greater your risk.
The good news is that there are natural steps you can take to help reduce your blood pressure or prevent it from increasing to dangerous levels. Studies have shown that there is a strong link between certain dietary plans and lowering blood pressure in hypertensive patients, so with a diet for high blood pressure you can use the kitchen to normalise your blood pressure levels!
Scientists discovered that lowering cholesterol, red meats and saturated fats in the diet and increasing fruits and vegetable and low fat milk products as well as whole grains can have a significant impact on high blood pressure. Including plenty of fish and organic poultry and cutting out processed sugars added to the blood pressure lowering effect.
The key minerals in the fight against high blood pressure are magnesium potassium and calcium, so including foods rich in these elements is important. Of course any blood pressure diet is going to be low in salt, as salt and sodium are the big baddies when it comes to increasing high blood pressure and hardening of the arterial walls.
Some of the foods that are great for lowering blood pressure are ordinary enough, they just may have been forgotten in your diet. Skim milk is great for providing calcium and vitamin D. Vitamin D and calcium work together in the body to ease hypertension and have been known to reduce it by a mean of 4% – not a large figure but in the world of hypertension the difference between living and dying. Getting about half an hour of sun on at least 25% of your body is also crucial for vitamin D absorption.
Spinach is not just for Popeye, but is another great food for lowering blood pressure. Unsalted nuts and seeds as well as beans and legumes are also essentials. All of the above are high in magnesium and potassium, key mineral for lowering blood pressure. Making sure you get potassium through foods is really important as taking supplements can upset the bodies balance of potassium so only take supplements with your doctor’s supervision.
Another trio of high blood pressure fighters is potatoes, soybeans and bananas. Potassium is important because of its relationship with sodium. In the body if potassium is high then salt will be low and vice-versa so this link means that you want potassium on top! Potassium particularly works in the kidneys, so you can avoid the risks of kidney disease or chronic renal failure associated with high blood pressure.
And here comes the best news of all for people who like chocolate. Your favourite friend in the cupboard just became even better. Yay for dark chocolate! Studies have shown that eating around thirty calories (about 14 grams, so not too much!) will have a positive effect on your blood pressure without causing any weight gain or other negative affect. Dark chocolate is also full of antioxidants and minerals like iron – eat it with nuts or fruit to extract the fullest amount of ‘goodies’ from the chocolate.
Its important to keep in mind that youdon’t have to eat tasteless and bland meals to benefit your blood pressure. What you will be getting is a healthy life, full of yummy foods that will see you not only get healthier but regain control of your life, no more living in the shadow of high blood pressure.
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categories: high blood pressure,high blood pressure cure,natural remedy,natural remedies,health,medicine,holistic medicine,medical,fitness
