Hypertension is an “excess” state to be in. It is unhealthy and stresses the flow of blood to important organs such as the brain, heart and kidneys. When left untreated, hypertension leaves the body in a state of undue stress and can cause stroke, heart attack, arterial aneurysm, hardening of the arteries or kidney failure. All of these conditions are potentially life threatening.
Western bio-medicine has developed some fine drugs for treating hypertension. These include diuretics, angiotensin converting enzymes, angiotensin receptor blockers, alpha blockers, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers and vasodilators. These pharmaceuticals respectively: increase the elimination of sodium; inhibit natural hormone production; alter the involuntary nervous system to force a decrease in pressure; reduce blood vessel constriction; and dilate arteries to decrease overall pressure. Very fine indeed.
The problem with prescription medications is they are often used too late, more than one are generally used in combination, they must be taken for the remainder of one’s life and are only prescribed “after the fact.”
Of course, the best way to avoid the health risks of hypertension is to prevent it from occurring in the first place. But we are never here to point the finger or chide. So, should you already be at risk, or have increased blood pressure, you should know that high blood pressure does have a genetic component so people whose parents have it are more likely to get it. However, that still does not mean that you must express these genes. You can still prevent worsening blood pressure. Moreover, men are also more likely to develop it at an earlier age than women. And blacks are more likely candidates than are Caucasians to develop it.
Intake limit
Fructose is a simple sugar, or monosaccharide, that is derived from fruits and vegetables. In doses that are naturally consumed while eating, unprocessed whole fruits and vegetables, fructose is safe for your body. In general, it is trapped in the fiber of fruit and takes a long time to be processed, and affect your body. However, in high doses like those found in processed foods and beverages (orange juice being a particular offender), fructose has been linked to increased blood pressure. In fact, a new study finds that a diet high in fructose increases the risk of hypertension, or high blood pressure.
Over the last century, processed food purveyors have begun adding more fructose to their products in an effort to add flavor. During this period the number of Americans suffering from high blood pressure has skyrocketed.
A study presented at the American Society of Nephrology’s 42nd Annual Meeting found that the rate of obesity has increased sharply since the development of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), and that the prevalence of HFCS in processed foods may have something to do with it. It’s been reported that Americans now consume 30 percent more fructose than they did 20 years ago.
The study showed that a diet of more than 74 grams of fructose a day led to dramatic increases in risk of hypertension for those with slightly higher blood pressure. Participants who had a blood pressure level of 160/100 had an 87 percent higher risk of developing hypertension.
Zero tolerance
As we said, prevention is one thing, but to our aim in this letter of actually helping you lower your blood pressure, the adverse of the above is also true. Meaning that merely consuming less or even zero processed fructose has also been clinically proven to lower blood pressure. Results of a University of Colorado at Denver study suggest that hypertensive individuals may be able to naturally lower their blood pressure by consuming a diet low in added fructose.
Lead author Diana Jalal and her colleagues from the University’s Health Sciences Center recruited nearly 4,600 adults over the age of 18 and had them fill out dietary questionnaires regarding their average daily consumption of processed fruit juices, soft drinks, bakery products and candy.
After taking into account other risk factors the researchers found that individuals who consumed more than 72 grams of fructose each day were between 26 percent and 77 percent (depending upon the blood pressure threshold) more likely to be hypertensive than those who eat few foods containing added sugar.
Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) believe there are various natural solutions to help lower your blood pressure levels. In the book Chinese System of Food Cures, foods such as seaweed, mung beans, hawthorn fruit, water chestnut, turnip, Chinese celery and persimmon are recommended for hypertension.
Other TCM methods for reducing high blood pressure include acupuncture, massage, meditation and yoga. These relaxation techniques can help relieve stress and anxiety and therefore regulate your heartbeat and circulation.
If you are worried about salt and hypertension, TCM practitioners would also tell you that you can offset the hypertensive effect of your sodium intake by eating foods high in potassium (potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, apricots, bananas, beans and plain yogurt) and fresh juices (prune, carrot, tomato and orange).
Did you know that another potent way to lower your blood pressure is by drinking fresh ginger tea? Just put six nickel-size chips of ginger root into two cups of water. Boil the tea and then flavor it with stevia, agave nectar or honey. Relax and sip the ginger tea as it cools.
