.jpg)
.jpg)
Natural Blood pressure control
A Japanese study published in the JAMA Internal Medicine that reviwed 39 previous studies finds that people who follow a vegetarian diet tend to have a lower blood pressure compared to meat eaters. On average,the systolic blood pressure was 5 to 7 mm/Hg lower for veg- etarians and the diastolic blood pressure 2 to 5 mm/Hg lower. This could translate to a 9 per cent reduced risk of heart attack and a 14 per cent reduced risk of stroke.
A plant-based diet is typically low in fat and high in fibre and potassium,all of which can help maintain a healthy blood pressure. The author would encourage physician to prescribe plant-based diets as a matter of routine, and to rely on medications only when diet changes do not do the job,said the study author.
Another study in the Journal of Investigate Dermatology suggests that exposure to sunlight may help lower blood pressure. Blood pressure levels tend to be higher in winter and further away from the equator. Twenty four healthy volunteers were exposed to ultraviolet A radiation, equal to about spending 30 minutes in the sun southern Europe. The exposure increased nitric oxide in the blood,widened the blood vessels and lowered blood pressure.
"Avoiding excess sunlight exposure is critical to prevent skin cancer,but not being exposed to it at all,out of fear or as a result of a certain lifestyle could increase the risk of cardiovascular disease," noted the study author.
Reference: THE WEEK(March 30-2014)
Our aim is to provide information to the knowledge seekers.
