Blood pressure literally means the pressure of blood on the walls of the blood vessels. Depending on the situation, arterial blood pressure may increase or decrease throughout a day. But when the blood pressure remains high during long period of time, it leads to hypertension. Hypertension is a chronic disease, characterized by constantly high blood pressure (140/90 mm Hg and higher). At the initial stages of hypertension, the blood pressure may increase periodically.
High blood pressure violates the work of heart and provokes atherosclerosis, which is quite dangerous for the body. Thus high blood pressure increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. The risk factors of high blood pressure, are: genetic predisposition; age over 55 years for men and over 65 years for women. In addition, there are also some risk factors that can be taken under control, such as: high cholesterol, smoking; excess weight, physical activity and diabetes.
Lifestyle plays an important role to lower blood pressure. If person with high blood pressure is capable to control his lifestyle, then at early stage of the disease he might lower blood pressure without using any medications or by reducing the use of drugs.
To lower blood pressure, one needs to change the nutrition first of all, which also helps to lose weight. Because you know that excess weight violates all body functions, plus it increases the blood pressure. So in order to lower blood pressure, you need more than just to change the diet. For high blood pressure it is recommended to keep a balanced diet, involving the whole complex of vitamins and minerals. Thus it is recommended to eat only healthy foods that might help to lower blood pressure, as well as normalize the blood circulation, keeping cerebral vessels in tone.
To lower blood pressure it is recommended to limit foods high in fat and cholesterol. One should eat more fruit and vegetables, wholegrain products, fat-free dairy products, nuts and beans. It is also necessary to set dietary approaches to stop hypertension, also known as DASH diet (tested diet to lower blood pressure in people with such disease as hypertension). DASH diet consists of solid diet, but not separate diet components.
The distinguishing feature of DASH diet is combination of products high in calcium, potassium, magnesium and limited consumption of sodium. For example, combination of fruit and vegetables with diary products enriches the body with calcium, potassium and magnesium. Thus larger amount of products with calcium, potassium and magnesium provides strong effect, helping to normalize the blood pressure. To increase calcium level, one should eat: diary products; fish; greens; nuts and beans. To restore magnesium level and normalize the blood pressure, one should use fat-free meat; nuts and seeds; beans; greens and dairy.
To reduce sodium level that causes high blood pressure, one should consume fruit and vegetables; wholegrain products; dairy products high in potassium and beans. The thing is that products high in potassium and magnesium allow to balance the amount of sodium inside the cells, which normalizes the blood pressure.
It is recommended to start DASH diet (in particular limited diet) gradually. First of all, one should minimize the amount of consumed fats. For instance, meat has to be just a small part of the whole daily diet. It is better to replace sweets and cakes with fruit. One should take dairy and wholegrain foods three times a day.
Foods that lower blood pressure:
* Fat-free dairy products: milk, cheese, sour cream, yogurt enrich the body with calcium and protein.
* Wholegrain products: bran bread, wholegrain bread, porridge and boiled rice – fiber and energy.
* Meat and fish: only fat-free and boiled meat as well as fish fillets are recommended. In rare cases you can eat fried foods with small amount of oil.
* Vegetables: broccoli, potato, spinach, green peas, carrots and cabbage.
* Fruit bring you more magnesium, potassium, vitamins and minerals. You can take any fruits in any amount.
* Nuts rich in fat and proteins. Being on diet, your body should still get fats. Because nuts contain vegetable fats, they are better for your body.
* Compotes, herbal teas, fresh juices have many useful features, so they are a good alternative to soda drinks.
Studies have shown that DASH diet is able to lower blood pressure within 14 days. Moreover, DASH diet allows to slow down and (or) prevent cardiovascular diseases; type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis. Therefore it is recommended to comply with DASH diet not only to lower blood pressure, but also to prevent cardiovascular disorders.
If foods that lower blood pressure do not give you antihypertensive effect, maybe you need to take antihypertensive therapy. But if you already have the prescription on drugs that lower blood pressure, only it is not valid anymore, you can buy antihypertensive drugs online without prescription by ordering the shipping from any country of the world.