How To Treat High Or Low Blood Pressure

Many of us may not believe that the heart is a muscle that is no more than the size of a fist but it is one of the most heavily worked organs in our bodies. Over the course of an average life span, the heart beats about two and a half billion times unceasingly. Blood runs through our veins and arteries at a certain pressure and it is essential to ensure that the pressure is within normal limits. However, if this pressure increases, the heart is overworked and the arteries develop abnormal interior tissue growth. This further blocks the passage of blood, leading to increasing blood pressure.

Obesity invariably leads to high blood pressure because of the excessive body weight and the additional pressure it puts on the heart and arterial system. Therefore, not taking measures to lower high blood pressure can finally result in serious heart diseases and sudden strokes cardiac arrests, and heart attacks are often the result. Another serious health complication caused by high blood pressure is kidney failure. In some cases, patients inherit their susceptibility to high blood pressure from their parents. Congenital high blood pressure is harder to treat than other forms because the problem is an integral part of the genetic makeup.
Medical studies have shown that sedentary lifestyles tend to push up blood pressure, while regular exercise and physically active life reduce it. It is certainly not required to spend hours in the gym to control blood pressure. An evening stroll, walking the dog, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, running around watering the plant, vacuuming briskly can suffice. If you are currently taking drugs for hypertension, then check with your personal doctor before making a change in your routine. Most doctors would agree that you should naturally lower your blood as it is the safest and most effective route for improved overall health.

Apart from some good physical activity a heart-friendly diet is also important. Boiling foods instead of frying them and trimming the skin and fat off of meat all add up to less artery-clogging plaque in your blood vessels to make the blood flow smoother. But make sure to avoid foods rich in fat and cholesterol and consume minimum salt. Sodium plays an essential role in regulating fluids in the body. Studies of diverse populations have shown that a high sodium intake is associated with higher blood pressures. Check labels on food packets for sodium content. Reducing sodium is probably the biggest step you can take in achieving low blood pressure.

Foods rich in potassium like bananas, raisins and almonds are proven to have a beneficial effect on hypertension. Fresh vegetables, whole grain breads, beans and natural fruits are some of the best ways to lower blood pressure and improve the overall aspects of your health. Eat chocolate and this will understandably be your favorite tip. Studies have shown that eating 100 grams per day of dark chocolate have a beneficial effect on blood pressure

Another effective way to improve the overall cardiovascular health is to quit smoking completely and drinking alcohol in excess. While drinking in moderation may not have much of an impact on your heart, having more than three pegs a day may contribute to high blood pressure. Alcohol has been shown to raise blood pressure by interfering with the flow of blood to and from the heart. When alcohol passes through your bloodstream, it ejects blood rich in nutrients from reaching your heart.

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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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