Silent Killer: These are words that should scare you. Yet many people don’t seem to see high blood pressure—the most common long-term health condition in this country—as a big problem, even though it’s a silent killer.
High blood pressure increases the risk of heart attack and stroke (as well as kidney disease, vision loss and dementia). It can also increase your risk of dying from Covid if you get it.
Around one in three adults in the UK have high blood pressure, meaning their readings are above 140/90 mmHg (or 150/90 mmHg if you’re over 80).
The top number, the systolic reading, is the force of the blood as your heart contracts; The lower number, diastolic, represents the pressure in your blood vessels between contractions.
These numbers increase for various reasons, but along with smoking and being overweight, age is a major risk as your blood vessels lose their elasticity and have to exert more pressure to replenish the blood.
Silent Killer: These are words that should scare you. Yet many people seem to ignore high blood pressure, writes Dr. Megan Rossi (pictured).
But if you thought high blood pressure was something only older people struggled with, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that after the age of 40, your systolic reading increases by an average of about 7 mmHg per decade.
And according to recent American research, high blood pressure is one of the reasons why younger women are more likely to have heart attacks. In general, the proportion increases among 35- to 54-year-olds, but especially among women.
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Mangoes are a nutritional powerhouse, but the juice from the stalk can cause a rash in some people. This is because it contains urushiol, an oil also found in poison ivy.
So we all need to take blood pressure seriously – and the good news is that in most cases, lifestyle changes can be just as effective as blood pressure-lowering medication.
I can’t stress enough the importance of trying to lower your levels – even lowering your blood pressure by 5mmHg can reduce your risk of a heart attack or stroke by around 10 percent. Here are some simple tips to help you do this.
eat bananas
We all know that salt raises blood pressure – that’s because it encourages the kidneys to retain fluid, which increases the volume of blood in your arteries.
However, eating more potassium-rich foods can counteract this by increasing the amount of sodium (the main component of salt) that your body excretes in the urine. Potassium also has a relaxing effect on blood vessels.
So try to eat foods rich in potassium every day. Good sources include bananas, avocados, fermented milk products, potatoes, tuna (but not in brine) and legumes.
But giving your potassium a boost doesn’t mean you can sprinkle salt on everything. Lowering salt levels (guidelines recommend no more than 6g a day, about a teaspoon) can lower your blood pressure by 2mmHg to 8mmHg. If you consume more potassium while doing this, your efforts will be increased.
Try to eat foods rich in potassium every day. Good sources include bananas, avocados, fermented milk products, potatoes, tuna (but not in brine) and legumes
Remember that about 70 percent of salt intake comes from processed foods, so check the labels: A high-salt diet is one with more than 1.5 g of salt (or 0.6 g of sodium) per 100 g.
Top: Try using herbs and spices to flavor food: smoked paprika, for example, has a powerful effect.
Switching to a nice sounding rock or Himalayan salt is not the answer as they contain similar amounts of sodium.
But you can switch to potassium chloride-based salt alternatives as they have a similar salty taste but with much less sodium per crumb and with the added benefit of extra potassium (not suitable if you have chronic kidney disease, since you can have it process not a lot of potassium).
. . . And more yogurt
Yogurt has been shown to block the action of the angiotensin-converting enzyme, which constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure.
A 2018 study in the Journal of Hypertension found that people who ate yogurt more than five times a week were 19 percent less likely to have high blood pressure than those who didn’t.
Top: Choose live yogurt and eat a dollop for breakfast or stir into soup.
Get up from your chair
Regular exercise strengthens the heart so it can pump more blood with less effort, reducing pressure on artery walls.
But it’s also important to keep moving throughout the day. For example, a study among older adults (67+) found that up to 30 minutes of moderate walking each day plus a three-minute walk every half hour lowered blood pressure by about 5 mmHg.
READ MORE: Why you should eat these foods together to increase health benefits by up to 1,000 percent — and it’s backed by a doctor
Top: Set the timer on your phone to take a quick break from your seat every half hour.
Try a spritzer
Sorry to upset you, but it’s not just heavy drinkers who are at risk for high blood pressure. Even those who drink moderately are at greater risk than those who never drink, according to a 2019 study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (“moderate” is defined as 7-13 units per week).
Alcohol disrupts the system that regulates blood pressure and stimulates the kidneys to release more of the enzyme renin, which constricts blood vessels.
Top: If you can’t remove it, at least cut it back. Try sharing your white wine with bottled water – a 2017 review in The Lancet found that those who drank six units or more and halved their intake lowered their systolic blood pressure by around 5 mmHg.
Eat 30 plants per week
Research shows that people with high blood pressure generally have less diverse gut bacteria.
Additionally, a 2017 study in the journal Microbiome found that when a stool sample containing gut bacteria from a human with hypertension was given to mice, they also developed hypertension.
Why? It is thought to be related to inflammation. If left unchecked, it can irritate blood vessels and in turn raise blood pressure.
When you have a healthy colony of gut microbes, they produce chemicals like butyrate that dampen inflammation.
Top: Eat as many different types of plant-based foods as possible – aim for 30 different types per week to keep your gut microbes thriving. This means whole grains, vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts and seeds. Herbs and spices also count.
chocolate for dessert
Cocoa contains antioxidants called flavonoids, which make it easier for the body to make nitric oxide – it helps dilate blood vessels and can have a protective effect on blood vessel walls.
An analysis of 20 randomized controlled trials by the respected Cochrane Collaboration found that consuming 500-750 mg of flavanols per day (25-40 g of chocolate with at least 85 percent cocoa solids) resulted in a 2-3 mmHg drop in blood pressure resulted after two years to 18 weeks.
Top: If 85 percent cocoa chocolate is too bitter, start with 70 percent and work your way up over about a month. Dark chocolate is also a source of caffeine, so it’s best to enjoy it before 3pm if you’re sensitive to caffeine.
Try this: beet burger
Beets are high in nitrates, a nutrient that is good for blood pressure. Leave the skin on for extra gut-loving fiber.
power 4
Beets are high in nitrates, a nutrient that is good for blood pressure
- l 100 g walnuts
- l 2 beets
- l 2 carrots
- l 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- l 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- l 2 shallots, finely chopped
- l juice of half a lemon
- l ½ can of chickpeas, drained
- l 75 g breadcrumbs
- l Handful of fresh herbs
- l Optional: 50 g grated cheddar or vegan cheese
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas point 4. Bake the walnuts for about 6 minutes or until lightly toasted.
Wash the beetroot, cut off the top and grate finely (keep the skin). Repeat this process with the roots.
In a non-stick pan over low heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute the garlic, beetroot, carrot and shallot for about five minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Allow to cool, add lemon juice and remaining olive oil and puree in a food processor until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until combined. Adjust seasonings and add olive oil until mixture is ready to form into patties.
Shape into four patties and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Garnish with leafy greens, tomatoes and sauerkraut.
Megan asked
I have had high cholesterol all my life and have been on statins for 10 years (I am 60, slim build). Are Baked Beans OK?
Paul Knotts, by email.
There is a common misconception that people with high cholesterol are overweight, but in some cases it is caused by an inherited condition called familial hypercholesterolemia.
It disrupts the way your body regulates and removes cholesterol from your blood, increasing your risk of heart disease at a younger age.
Medication is often required, but the importance of diet and exercise should not be overlooked. Commercial baked beans use runner beans, a good source of prebiotics—they feed your cholesterol-metabolizing gut bacteria (but they can be high in salt).
To maximize the benefits, make yourself a big batch and freeze in individual portions for those busy days. Add other types of beans and other sources of prebiotics such as onions and garlic.
If you’re limited on cooking, mix a can of baked beans with a can of drained and rinsed mixed beans—this gives you the added bean and fiber variety while cutting the salt and sugar in commercial baked beans in half. Although neither salt nor sugar directly affect cholesterol levels, both can further increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Please contact Dr. Megan Rossi
Email drmegan@dailymail.co.uk or write to Good Health, Daily Mail, 9 Derry Street, London, W8 5HY – please include your contact details. DR Megan Rossi cannot comment on the personal correspondence. Answers must be taken in a general context; Always consult your doctor if you have any health problems.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
