KEY POINTS

  • Combating high blood pressure requires vigilance especially when it comes to food intake
  • There is one food which you must only sprinkle on your meals if you want to lower blood pressure
  • It is advised that you must not consume too much salt  but should only be sprinkled on food

High blood pressure is characterized by the consistently high pressure of blood pushing against the artery walls. This forces the heart to work double-time in pumping blood throughout your body. If this goes on unchecked, it can cause your arteries to become narrow and stiff, as well as lose their stretchiness.

With the narrowing of the arteries, fatty substances or atheroma can clog them up, restricting the flow of blood. In this situation, your heart may not get enough blood and oxygen, which may result in a heart attack.

Keeping your blood pressure under control is, therefore, important to prevent life-threatening complications. Fortunately, you can do something about it. Since high blood pressure is often the consequence of poor and unhealthy lifestyle decisions, making a few healthy changes can help keep the threat at bay.

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salt high blood pressure Bru-nO

A Healthy Change

Consuming a nutritious and healthy diet regularly plays a major role in lowering and preventing high blood pressure. There is a growing body of evidence that introducing a few tweaks can greatly help. Studies that examine the health benefits of black pepper consumption, for instance, has established the relationship of this popular spice to the lowering of blood pressure.

Researchers found that the active substance in black pepper, which is called piperine, does a lot in helping reduce blood pressure to normal levels. In an animal study, researchers concluded that piperine led to a considerable reduction in the high blood pressure of mice.

Limit Salt Intake

Although adding pepper to your regular meals can help in lowering blood pressure reading, it is also vital you limit your salt intake. Excessive consumption of salt is linked to high blood pressure, and scientists were able to establish that the more salt you consume, the higher will your blood pressure be.

Blood Pressure UK also stated that consuming too much salt can negatively impact the efficacy of blood pressure medicines like diuretics. If you want to lower your blood pressure readings quickly, particularly if you are already suffering from the condition, you should limit the amount of salt you consume. The NHS, for its part, revealed that adults should consume no more than six grams of salt per day. This is approximately a teaspoonful of salt.