food to reduce blood pressure

[Robbi]

Evening folks,

had my blood pressure taken today and was a bit shocked to find it was pretty high, i haven't been to a doctors is some 20 years + and i'd like to keep it that way ( i know i may have to go eventually )

is there any foods that i could use as part of my diet that would reduce blood pressure ? i'd like to try this before i go to the Doc's and get pills etc.

any pointers would be great.

thanks guys

Robbi

[bojit]

Cut out high fat foods and salt and eat lots of fresh fruit and veg .

The doctor will tell you to stop drinking .

You could always get out of the building trade !

Craig............

[Robbi]

believe me, if i could get out of the building trade, i'd do it in a shot !!

what about things like porridge, isn't that meant to lower blood pressure or something ?

[beachlover]

I had the same good news after avoiding the GP for over ten years. Cut out the drink and BP has dropped from astronomical to normal in a couple of months and although I'd have been classed as a social drinker where you are, I am a toddler compared to many.
I also feel the world better.

[bojit]

If i could make the same money doing something other than joinery i would be tempted as long as it was nowhere near an office !

Yes i think porridge is a good one , basically anything high in fibre and low in fat .

Craig.......

[ex-member Raikey]

Robbi mate,...

i,m on the same trip at the minute,...

obviously no symptons,....but a routine check and boom!

i,m 17 stone,. and 6'1'' BMI is a bit high but i have always trained heavy and competed in a few bbing seasons a couple of years back so BMI means nothing at all,...

anyway,...i had a 24 hour monitor on and my readings were 140 over 100,...arrrgh

i have a pretty stressful job too,....the doc gave me one med and i didnt get on with it ,....

so i went and they sorted out a different one, and now my BP is nicely placed in the high end of normal,,,,

they dont call it the silent killer for nowt mate,....

talk to the doc,..ask him what kinda sides you can expect and tell him what you do for a living,...but i would consider the meds mate, seriously..(just keep an eye on the effects)

but this wasnt your question i suppose ,...so...

some foods and supps can help,...i recall Hawthorn from holland and barrett was on my list of stuff my coach gave me,

but really, take salt out of the diet, a bit of pre-breakfast CV work (if you can work it in) and drop the rollies,....(hahahaha)

hahahahaha i,m not preaching ,. and its all stuff you already know i spose,..,..but we dont want you pegging out early dude,...


Stu

[ex-member Raikey]

porridge is good, helps reduce cholestorol and is a good carb source with a good GI ,...

so in effect this will keep your blood sugar stable, and with it your hunger which in turn will keep you from snacking so maybe a round about effect on BP is benificial..

[Chastiser]

i would say whatever you choose, have it with rice as its apparently the only neutral food. its given to pepes when allergies are suspected and somone i know who was diagnosed with suspected cancer had it put heavily on their diet.

[789987]

brown rice?

yeah i heard the same thing about porridge only recently.

along with whats been suggested salt, alcohol, sugar, caffeine etc. what about soe excercise and a spot of meditation/ yoga? the breathing exercises are where its at to reduce stress and the like. so i hear.

[Robbi]

all good suggestions guys but you're asking me to give up what i enjoy most

not much of a choice really is there

[Imagedude]

Some people are thought to benefit from vitamin D supplements.

[bojit]

My mum has had very high blood pressure for years , she is on a couple of drugs for it but she still enjoys the foods that she likes but in moderation .

So you can have a drink a smoke and a bacon butty but everything in moderation !

Life would be so boring if you had to be good all the time !

Craig.............

[789987]

i bet leeches would help. get some leeches.

[salan]

I have high bp ( 160/104) and thats on meds!). I have never smoked, hardly drink ( say five pints a month) only drink decaff, eat porrage for breakfast.
So sometimes its your lot in life. My dad had low bp but lots of allergies. My mum had high bp and no allergies.
I have both!
such is life. worrying about it will only make it worse!
Alan

[Bigfoot]

As I recall garlic has a beneficial effect on BP.

[Robbi]

garlic ? would that be the royal jelly type of thing ?

[rancid badger]

Cut the salt-dead! stop eating crisps and adding salt to your food.

Tomorrow; make an appointment with your local doctors surgery and get a proper, full health check done.

If your blood pressure is up, there's a reason for it and you need to identify what it is, then sort it out from there. Avoiding seeking professional medical advice is really not a good idea.

The likelihood, is that its simply dietary/lifestyle related but it could potentially be something much more sinister and your not seeing a doctor for 20 years + is not necessarily a good thing.

There are loads of foods that can help but you need to id the cause of the raised BP first.

sincere best wishes

R.B.

[Robbi]

Fair point RB and good advice, wifey is making me an appointment in the morning. Got a bit of a scare today i can tell you.

( PS life style and a very high stress job that i don't want to be in would do it ! )

[Wylycoyte]

I had 145/100+ blood pressure last September. I bought a bp monitor to keep tabs on what was going on as I experimented with various substances in order to lower it. I added potassium to my diet in the form of salt substitute and it dropped to 125/90. I added 2g calcium/1g magnesium and it fell to 115/70. I tried a number of other things like herbs, aspirin, chocolate and other supplements but the calcium and potassium made all the difference for me. You should definitely try reducing salt intake, but honestly, I didn't use that much and still had a problem.

Whatever you decide to do, get a blood pressure monitor and keep tabs of what's going on at different times of the day. You might be swallowing supplements by the bucket load and never knowing if they're doing good or ill if you don't have a monitor to check.

[BOD]

i bet leeches would help. get some leeches.

Sound advice but you can also donate blood.

i had high BP and blood glucose a few years ago. I joined a swim squad of kids a third my age and did more bushcraft in the woods. long solo walks. Reduced the junk food intake. Off all the meds now.

[santaman2000]

As far as diet goes increasing intake intake of high fiber foods is a good idea (fiber helps eliminate excess cholesterol among other benefits). Really though the emphasis is more on what foods to eliminate or reduce rather than what to add.

Go to your Dr. and let him do a work-up. I'm sure he'll reccomend diet and lifestyle modifications before prescribing meds. Meds are usually reserved until after said modifications prove ineffective or inadaquete. They usually aren't enough bacause most of us aren't able to maintain a truely healthy diet. It's a pretty bland diet for those of us who are used to red meat, fried foods (fish & chips), eggs, dairy; you know, all the stuff with flavor. The general rule is: "If it tastes good, spit it out!"

[bilmo-p5]

It's a pretty bland diet for those of us who are used to red meat, fried foods (fish & chips), eggs, dairy; you know, all the stuff with flavor. The general rule is: "If it tastes good, spit it out!"

There's nothing in that list that you have to stop eating just because you have high BP although it may well be prudent to reduce your intake of same. The odd chip butty or duff pudding now and then isn't going to kill you and can be a great morale booster in and amongst the horse & bunny food.

[dave53]

hi just got back from the docs had to have my bloods taken to check my kidneys and blood pressure check 145 over 77 perfect and under control for now regards dave

[Paul_B]

I have always had low BP as in so low I could pass out (veinal veigle I think its called) getting out of a chair after a bad dose of cold or whatever. Won't say exactly where the first time it happened but it was on a throne in a restaurant! ;-) Anyway I went to the doc's for something unrelated to that side of health and she took my BP. I was actually suddenly quite high. Meant I had to keep going back for a few times until I had two normal readings. It just happened to be the next two visits. Call that whiter coat syndrome.

Anyway my point is to go back and get checked out fully. Don't get worrying about it until you do get to see the Doctor. For all you know it could just be a blip in BP and the Doc gives you a clean bill of health.

However if it is still high the Doc will tell you what to do better than most of us can. However we can give you encouragement to make the diet changes needed and pointers from those on here who are further down the road. Not me though but I'll be somewhere behind you no doubt as the number of family members on BP drugs and statins and the like is worryingly large.

Not sure if it was due to his BP but my Dad got told not to eat brocolli!! SO if it was for BP you now have an excuse for not eating your greens!! See a Positive in everything!!

Always got told garlic has antibiotic effects and can help to thin your blood. Onions too have benefits but less so. I guess the blood thinning could help BP issues but mostly Cholesterol issues I'd imagine.

Hate to say it but exercise and diet are so important to our health. No way round it the modern diet is not good for us. However it is in your power to sort out your diet and lifestyle.

PS watch out for bread. Seriously most mas produced sliced breads are actually rather high in salt. Perhaps go to more artisan bakers.

[Paul_B]

BTW last BP check I had one measure very high the other very low. How screwed up am I? I get the negatives of high BP and low BP in one system!! I think anyway.

[santaman2000]

There's nothing in that list that you have to stop eating just because you have high BP although it may well be prudent to reduce your intake of same. The odd chip butty or duff pudding now and then isn't going to kill you and can be a great morale booster in and amongst the horse & bunny food.

I was speaking somewhat tongue in cheek. Actually however my Doctors and dieticians have been telling me for years to cut down (and by cut down they mean SEVERELY) all those foods as well as white breads. I've been hyper-tensive since I was about 26 and diabetic since I was in my early 40s. Yes, you can have the odd serving now and then but what they define as the odd serving is only about once per 2 or 3 months, whereas most of us think of it as once or twice a day for things like butter. It's mainly that most of us are so accustomed to high fat, high salt foods that a healthy level just seems so bland to us(not that it neccessarily really is that bland) You're quite right about the morale boost you can get if it's done correctly. I've found that a lot of the problem maintaining a good diet is social; it's difficult enough to refrain from certain foods but even harder when you're at the table with family or friends who happily digging in.

[rik_uk3]

Eat healthy, moderate your portions, cut back on booze, stop smoking if you can, really cut down if you can't, don't rely on cheap BP monitors as they are not very accurate and try not to worry about it as stress can push it up. Go to your GP, get a check up and don't be afraid to take tablets to get it under control, you don't always have to take them for the rest of your life.

Eat a bit of what you fancy from time to time, as said, its good for your moral.

[Seabeggar]

Folk should not spend to much time worrying about mild to moderate raised blood pressure until they have quit smoking. For example 50 year old male who smokes with BP 150/80

Their 10-year QRISK ( risk of heart attack or stroke in next 10 years) is: 9.5%
The score of a typical person with the same age, sex, and ethnicity* 5.9%
HeartAge= 56

Another identical 50 year old who doesnt smoke with same raised BP

Their 10-year QRISK score 6.1%
The score of a typical person with the same age, sex, and ethnicity* 5.9%
Their HeartAge= 51

So moderate raised BP adds 1 year to your age smoking adds another 5 ( and thats just from heart and stroke disease)

Eating healthy will reduce BP and other diseases.

[Robbi]

got an appointment with the doc's in the morning.......he was quite keen to see me !

[ex-member Raikey]

dont sweat it mate,...

it'll more than likely be up just from you being there,....

let us know how you get on,...