No high blood pressure can be considered safe. Even if your blood pressure is only nominally above normal levels you are at an increased risk of stroke, organ damage and heart attack. 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 been conducted that show a strong positive correlation between certain diet plans and a lowering of high blood pressure - so you can eat your way to normalised blood pressure with a diet for high blood pressure!
Scientists found that changing your diet so that it is low in saturated fats and cholesterol, has an added emphasis on fruits and vegetables and fat free and low fat dairy products and includes whole grains and less red meat will significantly lower blood pressure. Lowered hypertension was also found when fish, organic chicken and eliminating processed sugars was incorporated into the diet.
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 the optimum blood pressure diet is very low in salt, as salt and sodium are key elements that contribute to high blood pressure and the hardening of the arteries if consumed in disproportionate amounts.
Some of the best foods to eat to lower your blood pressure are everyday items that may be overlooked in your diet. Calcium and vitamin D are found in skimmed milk. 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. For vitamin D it is essential that you also get around half an hour sun exposure on about 25% of you body for optimum absorption.
Spinach is not just for Popeye, but is another great food for lowering blood pressure. Beans and legumes as well as seeds and nuts (unsalted of course) are also essentials. All of these are rich in calcium, potassium and magnesium, the key blood pressure elements. Potassium supplements should be avoided unless under the guidance of a physician, so getting potassium rich foods in your diet is importance.
Another trio of high blood pressure fighters is potatoes, soybeans and bananas. Potassium is important because of its relationship with sodium. They are inextricably linked, one is high, the other is low - so for blood pressure you want it to be the potassium high sodium low equation, otherwise it spells danger! Potassium works especially on the kidneys so it is important for guarding against renal failure and kidney disease, both risks from high blood pressure.
For the chocolate lovers amongst us, there is good news. Your favourite treat just got better. Yay for dark chocolate! Medical studies have shown that about 14 grams (30 calories) of dark chocolate helps high blood pressure without causing weight gain. Eating dark chocolate with fruits or nuts will allow the body to better absorb all the antioxidants and iron that are also concealed in its chocolate goodness.
Remember, changing your diet to reduce your blood pressure doesn't mean eating bland forever. It really means that you will be living a more healthy active lifestyle, the benefits of which are innumerable - not the least being that you get control of your life back and no longer live in the shadow of high blood pressure, wondering when it will strike with deadly force.
Author Resource:
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