Can water help manage blood pressure?
High blood pressure or hypertension is a condition, in which the force of blood flowing through your blood vessels is too high, that may eventually cause several health problems, including cardiovascular diseases.
Experts believe drinking water and staying properly hydrated can keep your blood pressure levels in check, among other things. When a body is well hydrated, the heart is said to be more efficient at pumping blood throughout the body. But while more studies are awaited, there's no significant harm in drinking water. On the contrary it has several benefits.
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Role of lifestyle in managing hypertension
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), healthy lifestyle choices are a great place to start when it comes to avoiding high blood pressure.
The health body recommends eating a well balanced diet that's low in salt, limiting alcohol, enjoying regular physical activity, managing stress, maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking and more.
Furthermore, experts believe drinking plenty of water can also reduce hypertension. But how much water should you drink in a day to lower blood pressure levels? Let's find out.
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How much water should you drink to reduce BP
Doctor and MD at oliolusso.com, Monika Wassermann recommends drinking eight glasses (240ml) every day.
She said,“As a holistic nutritionist, I always advise my clients to take eight glasses of water daily and for a good reason," as reported by mirror.co.uk.
Explaining why, she adds, “Water helps detoxify the blood (removing toxins and wastes), including excess sodium that heightens the risk of high blood pressure.”
Cranberry juice can also help
As per the expert, cranberry juice is another drink that is believed to help with high blood pressure.
“Cranberry juice is loaded with vitamin C (an antioxidant)," Dr Wassermann explains.
“Antioxidants help combat inflammation, promote blood flow and relax blood vessels. All these have a positive effect on your blood pressure levels,” she adds.
In addition, the drink also boosts your immune system and fights against oxidative stress from free radicals and helps kill harmful bacteria.
Why is high blood pressure called 'the silent killer'?
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates suggest that 1.28 billion adults aged 30-79 years worldwide have high blood pressure.
However, an estimated 46% of adults with hypertension are unaware that they have the condition. Why? Because high BP does not necessarily come with symptoms. It is only when the disease progresses to dangerous levels that it starts showing signs in the form of serious cardiovascular diseases like heart attack, heart failure, a stroke and more. This is one of the reasons why hypertension is also known as a 'silent killer'.
Risk factors for high blood pressure to consider
According to the WHO, modifiable risk factors of hypertension include unhealthy diets (excessive salt consumption, a diet high in saturated fat and trans fats, low intake of fruits and vegetables), physical inactivity, consumption of tobacco and alcohol, and being overweight or obese.
Non-modifiable risk factors include a family history of hypertension, age over 65 years and co-existing diseases such as diabetes or kidney disease, as per the global health body.