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It's a condition that is estimated to affect 20 per cent of adults in the industrialised countries and is even more prevalent in the developing countries. Despite billions of dollars spent on blood pressure lowering medications, it is still poorly controlled in many people.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that the problem is further compounded by poor compliance to prescribed anti-hypertensive medication.
Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury (mm Hg) and measurements less than 120/80 mm Hg are considered ideal, a reading of less than 140/90 mm Hg is considered normal, but blood pressure over 140/90 is diagnosed as hypertension.
Hypertension is one of the leading causes of death or disability due to stroke, heart attack and kidney failure.
There are two types of high blood pressure and 90 per cent of all cases are primary or essential hypertension where the cause is unknown, unlike secondary hypertension with identifiable causes that are treatable or reversible.
However, a higher intake of sodium (salt), alcohol and proteins have been linked to increased high blood pressure, along with other risk factors such as obesity and lack of regular physical activity.
The good news is that diet modifications, exercise, stress management and the use of nutritional supplements can help in reducing elevated blood pressure.
The American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee recommends a diet low in saturated fat, high in complex carbohydrates (adding fruits and vegetables) and restricted in salt intake.
Such a diet is rich in minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium. Food rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium are Chinese cabbage, carrots, cucumber, spinach, celery, sprouts, mushrooms, mung beans, potatoes, avocados, broccoli and most fruits.
Magnesium works together with calcium in supporting the body's functions in the formation of bones and teeth, the clotting of blood, and the regulation of heart rate. Known as a muscle relaxant, magnesium helps in lowering blood pressure by relaxing the muscles that control blood vessels.
Calcium, on the other hand, is required for the contraction of muscles and that is why these minerals are usually found in combination. Magnesium has been successfully used in pregnancy-induced hypertension.
It seems that most people do not get enough magnesium in their daily diets as they fail to consume five servings of fruit and vegetables as well as the tendency to eat mainly processed foods which are almost depleted of this important mineral. The recommended daily requirement of magnesium for adults is about 400mg a day.
Research indicates that people who are physically inactive have a 35 per cent chance of developing high blood pressure compared to an athletic person.
Apart from lowering blood pressure, regular exercise strengthens the heart muscle, raises good HDL levels, thins the blood, fights off the excess weight and imparts a general sense of well-being. Physical activity needs to be incorporated as a lifelong habit and encouraged from young.
The effects of stress can deplete your body of magnesium and this probably explains why chronic stress raises normal blood pressure.
A study using stress management techniques such as meditation, deep-breathing exercises and yoga shows that it reduces the need for anti-hypertensive medications in 70 per cent of the subjects with mild to moderate hypertension within six weeks and that half of the studied subjects could stop their medication within a year and drastically reduce high blood pressure levels.
About the author:
Jae Taylor is an alternative practitioner with 40 years experience in the field of nutrition. At his website he provides detailed resources on blood pressure. Visit him at: http://www.high-blood-pressure-review.info
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