HIGH
BLOOD PRESSURE (hypertension)
About High Blood
Pressure
When
blood pressure is too high, the heart has to work harder to pump blood to all
parts of the body. This can cause
damage to the walls of the blood vessels and can cause heart failure, stroke and
kidney damage. High blood pressure
often causes no symptoms until complications develop and it’s therefore been
called the ‘silent killer’. Symptoms
of hypertension include headaches, rapid pulse, shortness of breath, sweating,
dizziness and visual disturbances. In
most instances there are no apparent reasons why blood pressure should be high,
and in these cases certain risk factors have been identified.
They include smoking, stress, obesity, lack of exercise, high sodium
intake, oral contraceptive use, drug abuse and excess use of stimulants such as
coffee, tea or sugar.
Nutrition Facts & Diet
Advice for high blood pressure
Consider the following nutrition guidelines:
Hypertension
is another of the many diseases or syndromes associated with the Western diet,
and is found almost entirely in developed countries. People living in remote areas, where they eat a traditional
diet, do not suffer from hypertension, even when they become old.
-
Eat
a high fibre diet.
-
Eat
plenty of garlic and onions.
-
Eat
bilberries, blueberries and other berries which are high in antioxidants.
-
Experiment
with different recipes so that you enjoy at least five portions of
different vegetables every day.
-
Oily
fish has been shown to help prevent heart disease, so eat mackerel,
salmon, tuna, herring, sardine or pilchard at least twice a week.
-
Also
include linseeds (flaxseed) in your diet, as well as almonds and pumpkin
seeds.
-
Reduce
table salt.
-
Avoid
sugar.
-
Shed
excess pounds if necessary and fit in some exercise.
-
Drink
at least 1½ litres of spring or filtered water every day.
Health Supplements - High Blood
Pressure
Often, a combination of supplements
may help in alleviating this
condition. You may wish to consult a
nutritional therapist for personal
advice. Supplements that may be
helpful in alleviating symptoms are
shown below:
Recommended
Books
see also
weight
management
cookbooks
high cholesterol
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