How To Treat High Or Low Blood Pressure

Research reveals that hypertension or elevated blood pressure is usually genetic. However, a person’s lifestyle also has an impact on pressure levels. Another key to living healthy is proper diet. Most people know sodium doesn’t do blood pressure any good, but there are plenty of other foods to be mindful of to keep blood pressure numbers within normal.

Good Eats For Normal Blood Pressure

Sodium levels should stay down and potassium levels need to be kept up. A healthy potassium-to-sodium ratio means your blood pressure is also healthy. Low potassium causes the body to hang on to more sodium, translating to high pressure.

Three foods providing loads of potassium are bananas, soybeans and baked white potatoes. Get potassium from the food and not so much the supplements. Potassium levels can spike real high real quick, throwing off the body’s electrolyte imbalance. The heart is in for some serious trouble if this happens.

People need to set their sights on foods that are rich in magnesium. Unsalted sunflower seeds, various beans and spinach are common examples of foods high in magnesium. The magnesium macro-mineral helps lower as well as maintain healthy blood pressure readings. What’s more, the foods mentioned above also serve up lots of potassium so it’s a win-win all around.

Another food item that helps achieve healthy blood pressure is dark chocolate. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association stated that consuming a tiny dark chocolate morsel, around half of an ounce, was linked to reduced blood pressure, but minus any weight gain or other negative effects. There’s finally a type of health food people will be more than glad to put in their mouths.

Fish is the in thing to eat these days. Omega 3 madness has hit practically everywhere on the planet. This really isn’t surprising, since most countries across the world base their food diet on fresh fruits and veggies and fresh fish. The people of these nations frequently have the healthiest inhabitants.

Fresh fish – especially the fatty fish have Omega 3 fatty acids known as EPA and DHA that are both extremely heart-friendly. Besides lowering blood pressure, Omega 3 also has the capability of stopping and even reversing anginas. But before going on an all-tuna diet, there’s something you should know. Tuna is associated with high levels of mercury. Limit eating fresh tuna just once a week. You could also try wild fish as with salmon, as these were fished out of clean waters.

Eggs have dipped in popularity in recent years owing to cholesterol concerns. Regardless of the bad rap eggs have received, they’re still a cheap resource for high-quality protein and many other nutrients.

Some studies say that specific egg proteins could have effects that resemble those of ACE inhibitors. The ACE inhibitors are prescription medication for treating raised blood pressure. A bunch of scientists learned that enzymes in the small intestine and stomach generate peptides from the eggs. Interestingly, the fried eggs registered the highest ACE inhibitory action.

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Although blood pressure is the result of different factors, the common denominator is extreme salt and the improper balance of potassium and sodium. These two are the major electrolytes of the body in the production of energy, nerve conduction, cell integrity, to name a few. They are the producers of the body’s electricity. The balance of proportion between sodium and potassium is known as K-factor in diets.

Every tissue and organ has body cells composed of potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium and chloride which are submerged in fluid. The intracellular fluid contains more potassium than sodium while it is the other way around in the extracellular fluid.

The cells will function properly if there is the accurate balance of sodium and potassium or K-factor in diets which is important in controlling high blood pressure.

The instinct to pull the hand immediately from a hot oven and the normal beating of the heart are examples of the proper ratio of potassium and sodium in the body. If there is distortion, this can be life threatening.

The correct ratio is about three parts of potassium to one part of sodium, K-factor ratio (potassium divided by sodium), which is also applicable to animals. Plants do not require this but helps in balancing excess sodium because of their ratio of about 10 to 20 parts of potassium to one part of sodium.

The importance of K-factor in diets to control high blood pressure can be exemplified when there is an oversupply of sodium in the extracellular fluids. To return everything to normal, the kidneys will initially expel the excess sodium.

However, if the kidneys fail to emit the sodium from the blood, the peripheral vascular system will constrict and the resistance to blood flow will increase, the result is high blood pressure. The blood pressure rises because the kidneys are excreting plenty of sodium.

In order to control this, the medical profession introduced diuretics to treat high blood pressure. In diuretics, more fluid is expelled from the body together with sodium chloride. This is effective in the early stage of high blood pressure.

However, the kidneys are also required to emit potassium, hence the deficiency in potassium. As a remedy, doctors prescribe potassium supplements and drinking of plenty of water as replenishments.

Since potassium and sodium are almost present in the foods we eat, it is best to increase potassium and decrease sodium in our diet.

In order to remember this, here are some dietary guides:

1. Except breakfast, eat one to three types of fresh vegetables. Never add salt if boiled, steamed or stir-fried. Examples of fresh vegetables are spinach, potatoes, carrots, etc.

2. During breakfast, eat cereals like unsalted cereal, oatmeal, puffed rice and wheat germ together with a soy beverage or a low-fat milk.

3. Eat peas, beans and whole grains but not black beans.

4. Keep away from eating processed foods due to its salt content. In you can’t resist the cravings, look for the label which has 2 times more potassium than sodium.

5. Try to avoid salt in every food. Instead, use hot pepper sauce as substitutes.

6. Always eat fresh fruits. Ice cream, sherbet and ice milk can be eaten but refrain from pies, cakes or baked products.

7. Buy a cookbook with emphasis on low-sodium diet.

These dietary changes may be different from your current way of life. If following the K-factor in diets will become a habit, you will realize its importance in controlling high blood pressure which will lead to a better health.

Alvin Hopkinson is a leading health researcher in the area of natural remedies and high blood pressure treatment. Discover how you can get rid of your high blood pressure for good using proven and effective home remedies, all without using harmful medications or drugs. Visit his site now at http://www.minusbloodpressure.com

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