Hypertension??? Follow a Diet Mantra!!!

Hypertension??? Follow a Diet Mantra!!!

·        Unhealthy diet, stress and anxiety are the contributing factors to the increases rate of hypertension these days

·        1/3^rd across the world youth suffer from high blood pressure

The secret of good health is intelligent consumption of beneficial foods rather than simply avoiding harmful foods. With increasing cases of hypertension at a young age, strategies for prevention and management need to be understood and implemented. The most common approach for controlling high blood pressure has been reducing intake of salt (or sodium). While sodium restriction is important, management of high blood pressure involves regulation of many other nutrients in the body. Adequate intake of potassium, calcium, fibre, phytochemicals, Omega 3 fats and, of course, regular work out to keep the waist size well within the normal limits.

Talking about the diet, Mr. Sachin Singh, Clinic Director, Diet Mantra said: “The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), a diet for controlling high blood pressure, includes an eating plan low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol and rich in fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products along with sodium restriction, is more effective in lowering blood pressure than low sodium diets.”

A large clinical study tested the effect of DASH on patients with high blood pressure which concluded that DASH had the most significant results in controlling the problem.

Elaborating on the psychological aspects of hypertension, Dr. Malaykant Singh, psychiatrist of Kant Brain Center said: “These days life has become very fast and competitive. Pressure caused due to competition, stress, anxiety apart from a positive family history lead to hypertension, which can be an any age now. One needs to keep a check on his diet and lifestyle, to control hypertension. A regular exercise helps us keep fit. One should consult a psychiatrist if suffering from hypertension.”

Heart disease covers a range of disorders which affect our arteries, blood vessels, or the heart, leading to narrowed or blocked arteries and preventing the heart from pumping blood efficiently, thereby, leading to hypertension. Hypertension is high persistent blood pressure (above 140mm Hg systolic and 90mm Hg diastolic).

Mr. Sachin Singh suggested diet mantra to fight hypertension:

POTASSIUM: Good sources of potassium include fruits and vegetables like bananas, oranges, dry fruits, potatoes, spinach and tomatoes.

CALCIUM: It is needed for contraction and relaxation of heart muscles, thereby, making it an essential nutrient for fighting hypertension. Low-fat milk, yogurt, green leafy vegetables, almonds, sesame seeds, and tofu are good sources of calcium.

FIBRE: High-fibre diets help lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Whole cereals and pulses, dal, peas, soyabean, fruits and vegetables, wheat bran, oat bran, etc. can add fibre content to our daily diet.

W-3 FATS: Good sources of W-3 fats include fatty fish, mustard oil, walnuts, wheat, rajma, lobia, flax seeds, methi seeds and soybean.

MAGNESIUM: Magnesium deficiency lowers the levels of calcium and potassium in blood as well as changes in the heart and circulatory system. Whole grains, pulses, spinach, whole wheat bread, nuts and tofu are good sources of magnesium.

Mr. Singh further added: “Food is one of the most important elements of life. Not only the amount of food we eat, but also the meal timings, make a significant impact on our health. For healthy eating, one should follow small and frequent meal patterns. Thus, controlling diet and lifestyle changes are critical in the effective treatment of high blood pressure. High sodium intake in the form of increased salt intake or processed foods, overweight and obesity and excessive alcohol consumption are some reasons for hypertension which if controlled in time can result in good health.”

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