Hypertension diet: The easy cooking swap to slash your risk of ‘silent killer’ disease

High blood pressure: Lifestyle changes to reduce reading

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is usually diagnosed when a person’s blood pressure exceeds 140/90mmHg, or 150/90mmHg or higher if over the age of 80. Though there can be many causes of this condition, some of which the NHS says are often “not clear”, it is well recorded that certain dietary choices can increase your risk of the “silent killer”. But, there are also some simple ways to reduce your risk when it comes to the food you eat.

Eating too much salt is listed as one of the most common risk factors, according to the NHS.

Though reducing the amount of food with high levels of salt listed in the ingredients is one way to limit your daily intake, people should also pay attention to their cooking methods.

The Association of UK Dieticians (BDA) explain “simple changes” can help “reduce the health risks that having high blood pressure can cause”.

And one of these can be done by making a key swap when cooking your meals.

The BDA states: “Most people eat far more salt than they need so we should all be aiming to reduce the amount of salt (or sodium chloride) we eat.

“Adults should have no more than six grams of salt a day – that’s about one teaspoon.

“It is the sodium in salt that contributes to high blood pressure and it is present in all types of salt including sea salt, flakes, crystals and flavoured salt.”

However, by finding new ways to flavour dishes, you can drastically cut down your sodium intake without scrimping on flavour.

DON’T MISS
Dame Judi Dench health: Star, 87, left ‘unable to get up’ after fall [REVEALED]
Diabetes: How to ‘flush out’ excess sugar [REPORT]
Omicron symptoms: The ‘warning’ sign on your lips [INSIGHT]

The BDA adds: “Remove the salt pot from the table to avoid adding extra salt to your meals.

“Once you are used to this, try reducing the salt you add when cooking and make more use of herbs and spices.”

The UK dietician body also notes that if you are using stock cubes to cook, there is no need to add any additional salt.

Furthermore, it is a good idea to try and opt for “low salt” stock cubes.

What are the risks of developing hypertension?

Hypertension is often referred to as a “silent killer” because many of its symptoms are not obvious.

The NHS estimated that “around a third of adults in the UK have high blood pressure, although many will not realise it.”

This is why having regular blood pressure checks is crucial.

If your blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on your blood vessels, heart and other organs, such as the brain, kidneys and eyes.

According to the NHS, persistent high blood pressure can “increase your risk of a number of serious and potentially life-threatening health conditions”.

The most common of these are:

• Heart disease
• Heart attacks
• Strokes
• Heart failure
• Peripheral arterial disease
• Aortic aneurysms
• Kidney disease
• Vascular dementia

Source: Read Full Article