High blood pressure can be asymptomatic for years or even decades. However, even without symptoms, hypertension damages blood vessels and greatly increases the risk of stroke, kidney disease, and heart disease. Therefore, periodic inspections should be performed once a month. The cause of high blood pressure is not known with certainty. In particular, despite a temporary increase in blood pressure, the normal blood pressure level, 'white coat hypertension', may be related to cardiovascular disease. Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mmHg.
<#Blood pressure standard>
① Normal blood pressure: systolic blood pressure less than 120 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure less than 80 mmHg
② Prehypertension: systolic blood pressure 120 to 139 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure 80 to 89 mmHg
③ Stage 1 hypertension (mild hypertension): systolic blood pressure 140 to 159 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure 90 to 99 mmHg
④ Hypertension 2 Stage (moderate or greater): systolic blood pressure greater than 160 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure greater than 100 mmHg
More than 90% of high blood pressure is essential hypertension, and in most cases the cause is unknown. The remaining 5-10% have secondary hypertension with a clear cause. Essential hypertension, which accounts for the majority of hypertension, is not caused by a single cause. Several factors cause high blood pressure. Among them, genetic factors (family history) are the most common, and other factors include aging, obesity, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, smoking, menopause, lack of exercise, and stress. Dietary factors include excessive intake of sodium, fat, and alcohol, and insufficient intake of potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Drug factors include oral contraceptives, antacids, anti-inflammatory drugs, and appetite suppressants. The role of diet in hypertension remains controversial because most hypertensive patients have multiple risk factors. However, a low-fat, low-calorie, salt-restricted diet is very important for managing high blood pressure.
#Diet and lifestyle changes can lower blood pressure to a healthy range, and in fact, people who manage their blood pressure through diet see almost the same improvement as taking medication. However, many people need medication, and taking medication if needed is also an important part of long-term cholesterol control. The main types of blood pressure medications include diuretics that reduce water in the body, beta blockers that slow the heart rate, and ACE inhibitors that dilate blood vessels. Although these drugs are generally safe, they can cause a variety of side effects, including dizziness, dehydration, insomnia, and in some cases lower than normal blood pressure.
Many people know that high cholesterol means high blood pressure, but not everyone with #high cholesterol will have high blood pressure. For example, I have pretty high cholesterol, but I have severe low blood pressure. It's also true that as you gain weight, your arteries circulate more blood, which raises your blood pressure, but you don't need to lose too much weight. Losing just 5-10% of your body weight is enough to bring your blood pressure back to the normal range. Therefore, it is more important to practice a healthy, low-calorie diet and intake control than to lose weight. Also, regular exercise of about 1 hour every day is good for preventing high blood pressure. There may be special types of exercise, but walking and other active activities in your daily life may also be beneficial.
The sodium in salt can raise blood pressure if you consume too much. Even if you use less salt when cooking, it's always a good idea to check food labels as sodium can be hidden in the unexpected foods we eat.
Adequate potassium intake lowers sodium levels and lowers blood pressure. The recommended daily amount of potassium is 3500 mg, but higher doses may be needed to control high blood pressure. Potassium is abundant in fruits and all kinds of fresh foods.
It is also important to get enough calcium and magnesium. This is because insufficient intake of calcium and magnesium raises blood pressure. However, calcium and magnesium are not medications for high blood pressure. This points to the importance of a balanced diet rather than a diet focused on calcium and magnesium intake.
👉 See other articles on vitamin and mineral functions and deficiencies on my blog!
Magnesium is also found in green leafy vegetables, whole grains, legumes, lean meat, and poultry that contain potassium and magnesium. The good news is that many of these foods are rich in fiber, which can also help lower cholesterol. This is due to the special function the fiber has. There are two types of cholesterol in the blood. One is LDL, which is the bad cholesterol that causes high blood pressure and heart disease, and the other is HDL, which is good for the body.
LDL, called low-density lipoprotein, precipitates in blood vessels and promotes clot formation to stop blood flow, and high-density lipoprotein, HDL, removes excess LDL from the blood and transports it to the liver for disposal.
In order for the liver to make bile, cholesterol must be drawn in from the blood, and bile, a digestive juice, is excreted by binding with soluble dietary fiber. It also reduces the risk of colon cancer. Fruits, whole grains, and vegetables are rich in potassium and magnesium, which lowers sodium levels and is high in fiber, which is like killing two birds with one stone. This is why high-fiber foods are highly recommended for people with high blood pressure. In particular, the skins of grains such as oatmeal and the skins of fruits and vegetables such as apples are rich in fiber.
<2types of cholesterols in the blood>
LDL | It precipitates as bad cholesterol and causes high blood pressure and heart disease. |
HDL | Takes cholesterol out of the sediment as good cholesterol. |
Many people turn to salad bars for a healthy diet. However, salad bars cause E. coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus to develop due to raw vegetables that are not washed properly.
Doctors recommend that people with high blood pressure limit their meat to three to four servings a week and eat more fish instead. This is because fish contain omega-3 fatty acids that can help lower blood pressure. Omega-3 fatty acids and garlic reduce the risk of blood clots by lowering LDL in the blood and increasing HDL. That said, it has the potential to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. All fish contain omega 3, but blue-backed oily fish such as salmon, tuna and sardines contain more omega 3. Another reason omega 3 fatty acids are important is that they are essential fatty acids that the body cannot make and must obtain. In other words, a low-fat, low-calorie diet means replacing a diet high in saturated fat with a diet high in unsaturated fat.
The brain is 60% fat, and the body needs a constant supply of fat. The body can make most of the fat it needs from other fats or raw materials. However, the two essential fatty acids that the body cannot make and must be consumed are alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) and linolenic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid). Both are found in nuts and seeds, especially flaxseed. Fat helps to absorb and utilize some vitamins and is #involved in the formation and #repair of nervous tissue.
It is also used to maintain healthy skin, hands, and toenails, and to make hormones that regulate blood pressure, the immune system, growth, and blood clotting. Fat is also the basis of all cell membranes that surround all cells and internal structures in the body. As such, fat is an essential nutrient that is beneficial to the human body. But the problem is that you abuse margarine instead of butter. Margarine is a trans fat (saturated fat) made by hydrogenating fatty acids in vegetable oils. Trans fats have been widely linked to health problems.
The only monounsaturated oils are olive oil, sesame oil, canola oil, and sunflower oil. Coconut oil contains saturated fats. Most vegetable oils contain omega-6, but flaxseed is a rare example of being rich in omega-3. However, flaxseed oil is not only low in fiber but also contains more calories, so using too much can cause weight gain.
#Foods that are beneficial for high blood pressure include:
Oats, oatmeal, flaxseed, whole grains, brown rice, cinnamon, ginger, dates, dark chocolate, hawthorn, hibiscus, red grapefruit, nuts, low-fat or non-fat milk, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, onions, strawberries, beets, spinach, cola Bee, broccoli, apples, grapes, bananas, avocados, other seasonal fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C, vitamin 3(niacin), green tea, legumes, tofu, oily fish such as salmon and mackerel, a balanced diet.
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- # Pectin from apples and grapes mops up excess cholesterol in the intestine and is excreted along with fat and cholesterol.
- Raspberry contains the highest amount of omega-3 fatty acids of any raw fruit. 100 grams of raspberries contain one-fourth of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C, especially vitamin K and manganese, and are rich in beneficial antioxidants.
- Onions and their relatives (garlic, chives, green onions, leeks, etc.) are powerful herbs for phytochemicals.
- Tomatoes need to be cooked to release more lycopene.
- 150 grams of strawberries contain all the vitamin C you need for a day.
- Not all ready-to-eat foods are bad. Canned, frozen fruits and vegetables, and ready-to-eat soups are good sources of nutrients and fiber, and sometimes contain more vitamins and phytochemicals than fresh ingredients. However, sugar and salt are often added to enhance the taste.