Hypertension, simply defined as the constant rise in blood pressure over a period of time in an individual has become a cardiovascular health issue affecting a wide range of the world’s popularity. Its prevalence in all age ranges makes it necessary to analyze all the possible causes and treatment.
In this article, we seek to establish the link between hypertension and nutrition both in the development of the disease and the management of it thereof to the basic understanding of all.
The development of hypertension happens overtime as a lot of factors play their minimal roles in a daily unmetered progress as the years go by. Being a metabolic condition, a major percentage of developing it lingers around dieting and exercise, basically lifestyle with just a small percentage arising from gland malfunctions like the adrenal and thyroid glands in the human system.
With our focus on dieting and nutrition today, an exposition of the micro and macro nutrients that play a role in the daily unmetered progress is going to be made.
It has long been established that the excessive intake of salt, especially ones that contain sodium has a massive effect on the negative towards hypertension. The sodium in the salt retains more water in the individual’s body, increasing the peripheral resistance, in turn putting pressure on the walls of the blood vessels and also the heart. Constant presence of sodium in one’s blood over years may lead to one developing the condition of hypertension.
Fat, whether from natural sources or artificial sources, when taken in the extreme or in regularity poses a very big risk in the development of hypertension. The daily or regular intake of fatty foods like fatty meat, oils, margarine, butter without any exit or burning plan like exercise would make the fat accumulate in the blood vessels forming plagues and sticking to the walls. Its overtime continuity increases size of plague which then would reduce the size of the lumen in the blood vessels making the passage of blood difficult. The heart increases pressure to pump so as to get blood pass this blockage to other parts of the body, leading to hypertension.
The above explained processes beckons us not to take in salt or fat at all as they are very important nutrients the body needs to coordinate impulses and also for insulation but to taper their intake and take them in moderation so as to maintain a very healthy blood pressure.
There is global encouragement for the increased intake of some foods that would help reduce or maintain a healthy blood pressure. The nutrients in these foods make metabolism easier for the body. Foods like beets, garlic, dark chocolate, nuts, citrus fruits contain nitric oxide that help dilate the blood vessels for easy flow of blood in them. Regular intake of vegetables also clears excess fat in the blood to maintain a healthy blood pressure.
Hypertension can be regulated with lifestyle especially if there is no organ involvement. Add up moderate exercise to eating right and you’ll maintain a very healthy blood pressure.
