The main causes of high blood pressure are wrong eating habits, stress, weight gain, smoking, and alcohol. To control it, reduce salt and junk food, and include green vegetables, fruits, pulses, and nuts. Drink sufficient water and do 30 minutes of exercise, yoga, and pranayama daily.
High Blood Pressure: According to Dr. Ajit Jain, Associate Professor in the Department of Cardiology at Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital, Delhi, the main causes of increased high blood pressure are wrong eating habits, stress, weight gain, lack of sleep, smoking, and alcohol. To control it, reduce salt, avoid processed food and fried food, and include green vegetables, fruits, pulses, and nuts in your diet. Additionally, blood pressure can be kept balanced with 30 minutes of light physical activity, yoga, and pranayama daily.
What is Blood Pressure and How Much of an Increase is Dangerous?
Normally, a healthy person's blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg. When it reaches 130/80 mmHg or higher, it is considered elevated blood pressure. Ignoring this can be dangerous because prolonged high BP puts pressure on body organs and affects their functionality.
Main Causes of Increased Blood Pressure
Dr. Ajit Jain, Associate Professor in the Department of Cardiology at Rajiv Gandhi Superspeciality Hospital, Delhi, explains that there can be several reasons behind high BP. The first and foremost reason is wrong eating habits. Food high in salt, fried, and fatty foods play a significant role in increasing blood pressure. Additionally, excessive consumption of tea, coffee, and junk food also negatively affects blood vessels.
Another major cause is stress and lifestyle. Persistent stress, insufficient sleep, lack of physical activity, increasing weight, smoking, and alcohol habits are also major causes of high BP. Due to these habits, there is continuous pressure on the heart and blood vessels, making it difficult to control blood pressure.
Diet for Controlling Blood Pressure
To keep blood pressure under control, dietary changes are essential. First, reduce the amount of salt in your food and avoid sprinkling salt after cooking. Limit the consumption of processed foods and include fresh, green leafy vegetables in your diet.
Fruits, pulses, and nuts help keep blood pressure balanced. In particular, green leafy vegetables increase the potassium content in the body, which plays a crucial role in controlling blood pressure. Foods like oats, peanuts, walnuts, and almonds help keep the heart healthy and reduce blood pressure.
Water and Hydration
Lack of water in the body can also increase blood pressure. Therefore, it is important to adopt the habit of drinking 7 to 8 glasses of water daily. Limit the amount of tea and coffee to keep the body hydrated.
Physical Activity and Yoga
Physical activity is also essential to keep blood pressure under control. Walking for at least 30 minutes daily, doing light exercise, and performing yoga asanas are beneficial. Especially Sukhasana, Pranayama, and Bhramari Pranayama reduce stress and keep the heart healthy.
Impact of Mental Stress
Stress directly affects blood pressure. Persistent stress increases heart rate and puts pressure on blood vessels. Therefore, taking care of mental health also helps in controlling high BP.
