If you have high blood pressure or hypertension, it will not,
unfortunately, manifest any symptoms untill the damage is done.
It's a condition that is estimated to affect 20 per cent of
adults in the industrialised countries and is even more
prevalent in the developing countries. Despite billions of
dollars spent on blood pressure lowering medications, it is
still poorly controlled in many people.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that the problem is
further compounded by poor compliance to prescribed
anti-hypertensive medication.
Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury (mm Hg) and
measurements less than 120/80 mm Hg are considered ideal, a
reading of less than 140/90 mm Hg is considered normal, but
blood pressure over 140/90 is diagnosed as hypertension.
Hypertension is one of the leading causes of death or disability
due to stroke, heart attack and kidney failure.
There are two types of high blood pressure and 90 per cent of
all cases are primary or essential hypertension where the cause
is unknown, unlike secondary hypertension with identifiable
causes that are treatable or reversible.
However, a higher intake of sodium (salt), alcohol and proteins
have been linked to increased high blood pressure, along with
other risk factors such as obesity and lack of regular physical
activity.
The good news is that diet modifications, exercise, stress
management and the use of nutritional supplements can help in
reducing elevated blood pressure.
The American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee recommends
a diet low in saturated fat, high in complex carbohydrates
(adding fruits and vegetables) and restricted in salt intake.
Such a diet is rich in minerals such as potassium, calcium and
magnesium. Food rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium are
Chinese cabbage, carrots, cucumber, spinach, celery, sprouts,
mushrooms, mung beans, potatoes, avocados, broccoli and most
fruits.
Magnesium works together with calcium in supporting the body's
functions in the formation of bones and teeth, the clotting of
blood, and the regulation of heart rate. Known as a muscle
relaxant, magnesium helps in lowering blood pressure by relaxing
the muscles that control blood vessels.
Calcium, on the other hand, is required for the contraction of
muscles and that is why these minerals are usually found in
combination. Magnesium has been successfully used in
pregnancy-induced hypertension.
It seems that most people do not get enough magnesium in their
daily diets as they fail to consume five servings of fruit and
vegetables as well as the tendency to eat mainly processed foods
which are almost depleted of this important mineral. The
recommended daily requirement of magnesium for adults is about
400mg a day.
Research indicates that people who are physically inactive have
a 35 per cent chance of developing high blood pressure compared
to an athletic person.
Apart from lowering blood pressure, regular exercise strengthens
the heart muscle, raises good HDL levels, thins the blood,
fights off the excess weight and imparts a general sense of
well-being. Physical activity needs to be incorporated as a
lifelong habit and encouraged from young.
The effects of stress can deplete your body of magnesium and
this probably explains why chronic stress raises normal blood
pressure.
A study using stress management techniques such as meditation,
deep-breathing exercises and yoga shows that it reduces the need
for anti-hypertensive medications in 70 per cent of the subjects
with mild to moderate hypertension within six weeks and that
half of the studied subjects could stop their medication within
a year and drastically reduce high blood pressure levels.
About the author:
Jae Taylor is an alternative practitioner with 40 years
experience in the field of nutrition. At his website he provides
detailed resources on blood pressure. Visit him at:
http://www.high-blood-pressure-review.info
