How to fix the causes of high blood pressure.

How to fix the causes of high blood pressure.

High blood pressure is a condition also known as hypertension. This is known as "The Silent Killer" as sometimes there are no symptoms. High blood pressure causes damage to your blood vessels and arteries which raises the risk of heart attack and stroke. 

It can also lead to vision loss, sexual dysfunction, heart failure, kidney disease and many more health problems. 

In today's article we will take a look at the 6 most common causes of high blood pressure, and share some of our best tips on how to avoid them. 

1. Sugar The leading cause of high blood pressure and hypertension is consuming too many sugary foods and refined carbohydrates. Eating refined grains like bread, cereal, biscuits, pastries and waffles pulls important minerals out of the body such as potassium and magnesium. This causes the blood vessels to constrict which increases your blood pressure. Sugary foods like soda drinks, sauces, puddings and sweets also deplete your body of important B vitamins which damages the nervous system. Simply cut out these foods are start consuming more healthy fats like olive oil, avocados and coconut oil. These will fight cravings and help you to feel full, whilst reversing damage from carbohydrates. 

2. Belly Fat Those with lots of belly fat have higher blood pressure which raises the risk of cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. Belly fat is caused by insulin resistance, from consuming junk foods, trans fats, artificial sweeteners and alcohol. To lose belly fat, start eating raw leafy green salads daily, with a good quality olive oil dressing. Salad leaves are packed full of minerals which fight insulin resistance and allow you to tap into your belly fat for energy. 

3. Stress Both physical and mental stress can cause you to have high blood pressure. When we feel stressed out or anxious, our adrenal glands produce too much of the cortisol hormone. Cortisol is released into your blood stream which increases your heart rate and blood pressure. The body perceives a threat which is part of the natural fight or flight mechanism. If you feel stress on a daily basis, start loading up on B vitamins from nutritional yeast, and take long gentle walks in nature to calm the nervous system. If this doesn’t work you may also try some adaptogenic herbs in capsules like as ashwagandha or rhodiola. 

4. Potassium Deficiency The human body needs at least 4700mg of potassium per day, however most people barely get 1000. Potassium is the most important mineral because it balances out the negative effects of salt (sodium) in the body. Start consuming more potassium rich foods such as avocados, beet tops, kale and salmon. Potassium eases tension in the blood vessel walls, which helps the blood to flow freely and lower blood pressure. It also helps the body to flush out excess salt through the urine. 

5. Magnesium Deficiency Eating junk foods and not getting enough vegetables in the diet also leads to a magnesium deficiency. This is the secondary key mineral which helps to regulate hundreds of body systems, including blood pressure, muscle and nerve function. Getting more magnesium into the diet helps the small muscles around the blood vessels to relax, which increases blood flow and balances blood pressure. The best sources of magnesium are pumpkin seeds, avocados, dark chocolate and brazil nuts. 

6. Kidney Damage Finally, if you have kidney damage or are on dialysis, this may also be a cause of high blood pressure. The kidneys are supplied with a dense network of blood vessels and a high volume of blood flows through them. Damaged kidneys are less able to help regulate blood pressure as the arteries around them begin to narrow, weaken or harden. 

If this is the case, you can take Astragalus, a traditional Chinese medicine which has been scientifically shown to increase the filtration rate of the kidney and improve blood flow. You can also drink a higher volume of water each day to help the kidneys flush out toxins. Keto & Intermittent Fasting are also two amazing eating plans which can help to reverse kidney damage and balance blood pressure. 

As you can see high blood pressure is always a symptom of an underlying problem, that needs to be fixed. Learn more about the best foods, diet and lifestyle changes you need to make by selecting our "blood pressure" label at the end. 

To get knowledge more about nutrition and healthy releated foods, please see our other articles. Thank you very much for reading, a like is always appreciated and for more healthy articles follow us. 

I wish you a life wealth, health and full of happiness.