Tag: diet


Childhood Obesity Linked to 6x High Blood Pressure Risk

Obese Boy Measuring WeightYoung children who are obese have a six times risk factor for developing high blood pressure, specialist doctors believe. High blood pressure can lead to significant and potentially deadly health complications in adulthood, including heart disease.

The most at-risk group is obese girls, who are 5.9 times as likely to have high blood pressure in adulthood compared to their peers at a healthier weight. Boys risk four times the chance of developing high blood pressure if they are obese.

Data used to create the recent specialist warnings was sourced from a new German study that studied teenagers and young children with obesity who developed high blood pressure in adulthood.

Doctors claim that the high likelihood of obese people developing unhealthy blood pressure is closely linked to eating habits formed in childhood. UK-based GPs have warned that easily accessible junk food puts the current generation at risk.

The family Heart Study, which was carried out in Nuremberg, Germany, shows that obesity significantly increases the risk of developing blood pressure, even in young children. 18.6% of obese children involved in the study had high blood pressure.

This worrying statistic compares to a slightly lower 10.4% of overweight boys and just 5.7% of boys with a healthy weight. An astonishing 24.4% of all obese girls that took part in the study were found to have hypertension, compared to 5% of girls at normal weights.

Doctors have stressed the importance of developing healthy eating habits during childhood and avoiding high-fat, high-sugar foods that can contribute to serious medical conditions such as high blood pressure and heart disease.

Professor Schwandt, one of the researchers involved in the study, said: “Our study clearly shows that the fatter young people are, the greater their risk of prehypertension hypertension. Any weight loss they can achieve will help reduce their risk.”


7 Foods to Lower Your Blood Pressure

Green pea podsChanging your diet is one of the best ways to combat prehypertension or high blood pressure. By eating less of high-fat, high-sodium foods and eating a diet that’s rich in vitamins, minerals and nutrients, you can significantly lower your blood pressure.

Need help finding tasty and healthy foods to eat that will have a good effect on your blood pressure score? In this blog post, we’ll share seven foods that you can eat to lower your blood pressure and improve your health.

Spinach

Spinach isn’t just the ideal food for Popeye. This nutrient-packed vegetable is high in both fibre and essential nutrients like magnesium and potassium, which are closely correlated with healthy blood pressure.

Beans

From lima beans to pinto beans, beans in general are fantastic additions to your diet if you’re interested in lowering your blood pressure. Just make sure to avoid canned beans, which often contain added sodium.

Potatoes

Potatoes are a wonderful natural carbohydrate source that are easy to prepare and delicious. Replace breads, rice and other carbohydrates with potatoes. Ensure you bake or boil your potatoes to avoid adding fat, and don’t sprinkle on any salt.

Blueberries

Like sweet foods? Instead of eating sugar-filled candy or fatty milk chocolate, make berries your sweet food of choice. Blueberries and raspberries contain special types of compounds called flavonoids, which are proven to lower blood pressure.

Skim Milk

Milk is a wonderful source of protein and calcium, but it’s also high in fat and a poor choice for people with high blood pressure. Replace whole milk with skim milk and you’ll get the same serving of protein and calcium with none of the saturated fat.

Lettuce

Need to add substance to your meals? Instead of adding extra carbohydrates, meat or fatty sauces, add a leafy salad. Leafy greens like lettuce are high in potassium and help keep your blood pressure at a healthy level, as well as containing few calories.

Porridge

Making a fat-free, healthy breakfast is tough. Porridge is a wonderful choice for your breakfast that’s completely healthy and fat-free. Not only does porridge reduce your blood pressure levels; it also offer a long-term energy source for your morning.



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