High Blood Pressure Cures

It might be hard to believe that there are actually foods that lower high blood pressure, but it is true. There are actually a number of foods that can do just that. Sure, you will still need to do things like exercise and cut out salt, but it can be a great benefit to you to start lowering your blood pressure naturally. If you are prescribed blood pressure medicine, these foods will not eliminate the need for you to continue taking it, but if you have borderline high blood pressure and don’t yet need medication or you still need help even with your medication, then eating some of the foods outlined in this article might just be the answer you are looking for.

Drinking skim milk daily can help reduce your blood pressure up to ten percent. This milk is low in fat, but very high in Vitamin D and calcium, both of which are known to combat high blood pressure. Calcium can also be found in sardines, salmon, nuts, sunflower seeds (unsalted), and dark green leafy vegetables. Magnesium rich foods such as beans and spinach are also an excellent way to lower blood pressure. Other good sources of magnesium are figs, grapefruit, yellow corn, whole grains, almonds, and apples. Dark chocolate is great for helping to lower the blood pressure and satisfying a sweet tooth at the same time. The flavonoids in dark chocolate have been found to cause a noticeable drop in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings. Potassium rich foods such as bananas, soybeans, oranges, watermelon, spinach, zucchini, and baked white potatoes are another very good food for maintaining a lower blood pressure, as potassium helps the body rid itself of extra fluid so that the heart does not need to pump as hard. Research also shows that eating foods high in fiber, such as oat bran, fruits, and vegetables can significantly reduce high blood pressure, and even improve blood pressure in healthy individuals. Omega-3 fats, typically found in oily fish and flaxseeds, are known to have a lowering effect on blood pressure, as is garlic.

All in all, there are a number of foods that lower high blood pressure. Since there are a number of vegetables on the list, there are a number of meals that can be made combining them with fish, poultry, and lean meat that would greatly benefit people suffering with high blood pressure. Snacking on fruits high in magnesium, potassium, or calcium and the occasional dark chocolate can be an excellent way to curb hunger between meals while still managing your blood pressure. With skim milk and oat bran on the list as well as fruit, there are enough different foods that can lower your blood pressure to eat one at every meal without having to eat the same thing every day. Some studies have shown that eating enough of these foods in the right combination can be as effective as medicine for some people. Just remember to let your doctor determine whether you need medication and never adjust your dose yourself, even if your blood pressure is lowered by your diet.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure in common terms, refers to a medical condition in which the pressure exerted by the blood flowing in arteries on the arterial walls remains consistently high (greater than 140/90 mmHg, as compared to normal values of 120/80 mmHg). The question is: What are the causes of hypertension disorder? Well, you’ll be surprised to know that in 90–95% of the cases the cause of hypertension is not quite identifiable (primary or essential hypertension); in the remaining cases hypertension can be attributed to an underlying medical condition (secondary hypertension).

Though primary hypertension can remain asymptomatic for years, consistently high blood pressure can seriously damage the arteries and vital organs like heart, brain and kidneys. It is, therefore, important to understand the various factors that can become the causes of hypertension disorder. Some of these factors, like age and the genetic makeup, are beyond one’s control, but others can be controlled to a large extent by adopting therapeutic lifestyle/diet changes.

General causes of hypertension disorder

As mentioned earlier, there is no single identifiable cause of hypertension, except perhaps in people suffering from an underlying medical condition. A number of factors can contribute to hypertension in general, some of these being:

· Increasing age
· Hereditary factors
· Obesity
· Excessive intake of alcohol
· Smoking and drugs
· Unhealthy lifestyle – lack of physical exercise and wrong food choices (i.e., low-fiber, high-fat diet, which encourages high cholesterol and consequent artery clogging)
· A diet excessively high in sodium, as from common salt or from preservatives used in canned foods (sodium encourages water retention in the blood; this increased blood volume causes extra pressure on the arterial walls)
· Mental/physical stress

Diseases that can cause hypertension disorder

A number of diseases can be the underlying cause of hypertension disorder in many cases. These are:

· High LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol – This leads to the formation of fatty deposits on the arterial walls; these deposits block the arteries and provide hindrance to smooth blood flow, causing high blood pressure. These fatty deposits harden over a period of time to form a plaque, making the arterial walls thick, hard and inelastic (arteriosclerosis/atherosclerosis), aggravating the problem of hypertension.
· Gradual settling of calcareous material on the arterial walls, which cause artery blockage and hinder blood flow, giving rise to hypertension disorder.
· A congenital defect in the aorta.
· Presence of blood clots in arteries.
· Diseases of the kidney cause incomplete removal of wastes/fluids from the body, leading to excessive water retention in the blood. This increased blood volume puts increased strain on the arterial walls, causing hypertension.
· Some types of cancerous tumors, e.g., tumor of the adrenal gland.
· Right-sided heart failure – This reduces the pumping ability of the heart, giving rise to a large collection of fluids in the blood vessels and causing hypertension disorder.
· Disorders of the nervous system.
· Thyroid dysfunction.

In addition to these causes of hypertension, some medications too can raise the blood pressure. If you are suffering from hypertension, it is advisable to consult a doctor to find what is the cause of your hypertension disorder and get a treatment accordingly.