High blood pressure: Doctor explains benefits of hibiscus tea

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High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, puts extra stress on your blood vessels and vital organs, and this can have deadly consequences. Hypertension massively increases your chances of developing heart disease and strokes.

The only way to know if you have hypertension is to get your blood pressure checked, so many Brits don’t even know they are at risk as thousands of cases go unchecked.

High blood pressure is a serious threat to Britons health, it affects over a quarter of all adults in the UK.

Lifestyle changes can be the easiest way to lower your blood pressure, incorporating more exercise into your weekly routine and eating healthier foods can help to achieve this.

One of the simplest ways to help reduce your risk of hypertension is to reduce your consumption of some potentially harmful foods, here are five foods you should avoid if you’re at risk from high blood pressure.

Salty snacks

Eating healthy foods can help to control blood pressure levels, salty foods can significantly raise your blood pressure.

Salty foods are rich in sodium which has a direct effect on your blood pressure.

You don’t have to cut out salt from your diet completely, but you should not eat more than 2,300mg in a single day, this equates to no more than one teaspoon of salt a day.

The simplest way to do this is to avoid salty snacks, so salted peanuts and crips should cut out of your daily diet if you are at risk of high blood pressure.

Fatty foods

Obesity is the most common cause of high blood pressure.

Eating too many fatty foods can increase your risk of obesity which will likely increase your chances of hypertension.

Fatty foods such as sausages, whole milk products such as full-fat milk and butter should be avoided to lower your chances of hypertension.

If you can’t face a cheese-free future, simple swaps can be made.

Most supermarkets offer tasty reduced-fat or fat-free options of your favourite products, so reducing the amount of fat in your diet doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give up the foods you love.

Canned soups

This will surprise many but, soups widely believed to be a healthy option, often contain vast amounts of salt, some contain the equivalent salt content of more than nine bags of crisps.

This does not mean you have to give up your hearty lunchtime bowl of soup, but, you should look at the salt content of shop-bought soups, canned soups can be the worse culprit.

There are plenty of lower salt varieties so it is important you check the labels for the salt contents of your products before buying them and opt for the less salty soups wherever possible.

Fast food

Fast food is an obvious no no for those looking to improve their health.

Fast food and fried food contain high levels of salt and fat, a double threat to your blood pressure.

But, fast food can sometimes be the only option if you are out and about, for example, at night or at service stations healthier food outlets just aren’t open.

Many major fast food outlets have come under pressure for their unhealthy meals, many will offer healthier options so opt for these wherever possible.

Regular salad dressings

Smothering your limp lettuce leaves in salad dressing for many might be the only way they can enjoy salads, but, these seemingly harmless sauces can be high in salt and saturated fat.

Healthy salad dressings are easy to make at home, for a basic recipe, simply add one part vinegar with three to four parts of oil.

There are loads of varieties you can make so be creative, if not simply opt for low fat, low salt salad dressings at the checkout.

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