About 1 in 4 Dutch people has high blood pressure. In people over 65 this is even 1 in 2. High blood pressure can be harmful to your health. You have a high risk of cardiovascular disease. What can you do about it?
Your blood pressure consists of two values:upper pressure (the pressure in your arteries when your heart contracts) and under pressure (the pressure in your arteries when your heart relaxes). You have high blood pressure if your upper pressure is higher than 140 mmHg and your lower pressure higher than 90 mmHg. Keep in mind that your blood pressure can be different every time of the day. It is therefore best to measure it several times.
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Your blood pressure is always fluctuating. It is lower at night and higher in the morning. This is normal, but it becomes dangerous if your blood pressure is constantly too high. You don't feel high blood pressure, but it has a great effect on your body. The blood then flows too forcefully through your vessels, damaging them and increasing the risk of a stroke or heart disease. Your kidneys are also damaged by hard work. Nutrition plays an important role.
As tasty as it is:it is better to eat as little licorice and liquorice as possible. These products contain glycyrrhizic acid, which raises your blood pressure. Coffee, tobacco and alcohol also have this effect. Try more vegetables, fruit and other fresh, fiber-rich products
to eat.
Too much salt intake leads to your body retaining more water. This means there is more fluid in your arteries and there is more pressure on the arteries, forcing your heart to work harder to pump blood. It is advised to eat a maximum of six grams of salt per day. About eighty percent of the salt we ingest is in processed products such as bread and cheese. We only add twenty percent ourselves. Eating less salt is therefore still quite a challenge.
Choose fresh products and check the packaging for processed products to see how much salt or sodium they contain. Don't buy ready-made sauces and marinades, but make your own. You can easily replace salt with fresh herbs and spices, such as red pepper, basil and parsley. Note:some herbs actually raise your blood pressure, such as ephedra and ma huang.
Exercise lowers your blood pressure. The body has to pump more blood to the muscles that need oxygen, which raises your heart rate and widens your blood vessels. After this physical exertion, your blood pressure drops, usually for about five to 15 hours. Not only that, it also suppresses other factors that cause high blood pressure. Such as stress, anxiety and overweight.
Exercise moderately vigorously for at least thirty minutes every day. That does not always have to be a heavy circuit training, half an hour of walking or gardening also works.
Certain medications can have a side effect of increasing blood pressure, such as anti-inflammatory painkillers, aspirin, and some birth control pills.
Check the package leaflet and consult with your doctor.
Source:Santé December 2019, text:Mara Ruijter
