Hypertension: What it is, how to reduce it, supplements to treat it

According to the latest medical information, about half of people over the age of 50 have some health problem or disease related to hypertension.

If you want to know how to reduce hypertension naturally, applying natural advice and products, so that the blood vessels are strengthened and protected and the appearance of hypertension is prevented, take a look at the following article.

What is Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure or hypertension is a health risk factor, which can cause serious cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack, narcolepsy and kidney failure.

About 40% of men and 60% of women aged 26-70 years suffer from high blood pressure

We can lower high blood pressure by eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and taking dietary supplements

What does Blood Pressure measure?

Blood pressure values measure the force with which blood flows through the blood vessels. This value is measured in mmHg or nhlbi. Blood pressure does not behave in the same way throughout the bloodstream. In addition, blood pressure changes throughout the day

During phases of increased activity, stress, or emotions, the systolic pressure increases more than the diastolic. When we are no longer active, the systolic blood pressure decreases. However, the diastolic blood pressure remains at approximately the same levels.

What are the ideal Blood Pressure values?

Its ideal value, in adolescents and adults, is 120 to 80 mmHg or nhlbi. Even values ranging from 140 to 90 mmHg or nhlbi indicate hypertension. However, in the elderly, these values are normal.

School-age children from the age of nine should have a level of approximately 110/70 mmHg. Young children should have lower values.

Low blood pressure is known as hypotension. In this case the values are in the range of 100/60 mmHg. One of the symptoms of orthostatic hypotension is when a person falls when getting up or standing up.

Causes of Hypertension

High blood pressure is also known as hypertension and causes blood pressure levels to exceed 140/90 mmHg or nhlbi. If deposits form in the blood vessels, the blood pressure increases. Even in a state of absolute rest and relaxation, blood pressure remains high.

In these cases, health suffers, and some kind of illness can be caused, decreasing life expectancy.

Why does Hypertension occur?

Subcutaneous connective tissue plays an important role in hypertension. One of the main causes is the accumulation of lipids in the arteries and blood vessels, resulting in the thickening of the vascular walls:

• As the blood vessels become narrower and it becomes increasingly difficult for blood to flow through the vessels.
• When this happens, oxygen and nutrients do not pass in sufficient quantity to the organs.
• To compensate for this deficiency, the heart starts pumping blood more strongly and, at the same time, the vascular system is at greater risk of collapsing and bursting.

In these cases disaster is inevitable

The heart is forced to work at maximum capacity: it starts pumping blood more strongly, to the point that the blood vessels, arteries and the heart itself are affected

Factors that increase hypertension

When high blood pressure is prolonged there is a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, as the heart’s function is greatly strained. Obesity and diabetes are other factors that influence hypertension.

Dyslipidaemia and high cholesterol levels can also lead to hypertension with the risk of cardiovascular disease that can affect the heart and trigger a heart attack, kidney failure, stroke or other disease, with fatal health consequences.

Today, due to the high level of stress in industrialised countries, and the increase in obesity, there is a very high percentage of the population suffering from hypertension

Symptoms of Hypertension

Among the symptoms and health problems, we can see: nasal bleeding, accelerated pulse and, in the worst case, the expansion of the arteries to the abdomen. On the other hand, high blood pressure can lead to the disease of arteriosclerosis, due to chronic insufficient constriction of the blood vessels.

Statistics show that high blood pressure disease affects women and obese people more

Treatment with Medication

Medical treatment for hypertension consists of certain drugs to lower blood pressure. Among these drugs, doctors usually prescribe ACE inhibitors, AT1 antagonists, and calcium and potassium antagonists.

Alpha-blockers and beta-blockers reduce the heart rate and make the heart beat more slowly

However, it is important to have enough information and to know that this type of medical treatment has side effects, so it is preferable to avoid high blood pressure by other means

How to Prevent Hypertension

Getting regular exercise and eating a balanced diet is the best prevention against high blood pressure. The best diet to prevent hypertension is to eat foods rich in fibre, such as fresh vegetables, fruit, lean meats and bread with wholegrains.

Lack of magnesium, calcium and potassium can also lead to hypertension

Most people who suffer from high blood pressure should change their diet and take unsaturated fatty acids such as olive oil and avoid salt. It is also recommended to avoid eating sweets and alcohol, especially for women who are prone to this disease.

Tips to avoid Hypertension

Risk factors for hypertension are obesity, smoking and stress. They should therefore be avoided.

Women are prone to hypertension, so they need to be particularly careful.

Playing sport or leading an active life reduces the risk of high blood pressure. It is sufficient to do sport for half an hour each day (recommended minimum), such as swimming, running or activities such as gardening or cleaning the house.

Activity and movement reduce the risk of high blood pressure and reduce obesity. Add more foods that are rich in magnesium, calcium and potassium.

Supplements for Hypertension

Food supplements are an alternative to conventional medical treatment for naturally reducing high blood pressure and, above all, without producing the unwanted side effects

Omega-3

This type of fatty acid has cardio-protective properties and, according to studies, can reduce hypertension. In particular, DHA (acid) and EPA (acid) have haemodynamic properties, so that blood flow through the blood vessels can be improved and their viscosity reduced. Improved circulation alleviates problems of blockage and consequently increased blood pressure.

Magnesium

Magnesium is the fourth most important mineral in the body, and it is attributed with more than 300 essential operations. A lack of magnesium in the diet can be related to  to a high blood pressure condition. Supplementation with magnesium can help reduce both systolic and diastolic pressure, as reflected in this research.

The benefits of magnesium in protecting the cardiovascular system are reflected in: dilating blood vessels, preventing heart muscle spasms, and even dissolving clots. It is important to add, that together with magnesium, if we finally supplement with it, it is recommended to incorporate calcium.

Pycnogenol

Pycnogenol is the registered trademark name of the product derived from the pine bark of a tree known as Pinus pinaster. Pycnogenol can reduce blood pressure as seen in some studies. This is due to its blood vessel relaxation properties, plus its benefits in regulating cholesterol and triglyceride levels help prevent hypertension

Resveratrol

According to studies, this polyphenol, which is naturally found in certain foods such as grapes, can be attributed with properties to reduce cases of hypertension. The mechanism of action would be through inhibiting the angiotensin converting enzyme, as well as restoring the production of the blood vessel dilating agent, nitric oxide.

It also has antioxidant properties, cellular and DNA protection, regulates blood glucose levels and even offers skin protection against UV rays.

Melatonin

Although its main use may be to restore and regulate sleep patterns, offering a faster and more efficient reconciliation of sleep, as well as a better night’s rest, it may also offer a role as an agent to reduce blood pressure.

Because pressure also fluctuates during the course of the day, being less pronounced at night, it is evident that with the help of melatonin, systolic and diastolic pressure can be controlled and reduced by a percentage.

Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 can regulate high blood pressure levels. Ubiquinol, reduced form of Coenzyme Q10 can also improve this health marker. This substance, which is present in all cells (found in the mitochondria) of our body, contributes to the energy section of each cell.

Although it occurs naturally, various factors can counteract this process, such as age, eating habits, certain pathologies… In addition, problems related to the heart, including cholesterol and blood pressure, lead to an increased demand, making its deficit an unfavourable point for the treatment of hypertension.

Vitamin D3

Vitamin D3 is synthesized from the sun by our body. However, it is often the case that a significant proportion of the population can be deficient for most of the year in the absence of such exposure to the sun, and it is an essential nutrient for general health. In this case, opting for vitamin D3 supplements is often a quite interesting resource.

Vitamin D deficiency is also associated with osteoarthritis, autoimmune disorders, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and cancer, depression, bone pain, fatigue… and such vitamin D3 deficiency can be associated with risk of hypertension.

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