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Despite high blood pressure being a significant risk factor for conditions such as stroke, heart disease, and kidney failure, almost half of individuals with high blood pressure are unaware of their condition. Moreover, many diagnosed individuals do not receive appropriate treatment. This is primarily because High Blood Pressure (HBP) is largely a symptomless “silent killer.” If you ignore your blood pressure because you think symptomslike headaches, anxiety, or shortness of breath will alert you to the problem, you are taking a dangerous chance with your life.
The most effective way to determine if you have high blood pressure is through regular home checkups, as hospital tests can be influenced by white-coat syndrome, wherein blood pressure increases due to the anxiety of being in a medical setting. Regular home checkups are particularly crucial for the following groups: (1) Individuals who are obese. (2) Individuals aged 40 or above. (3) Individuals with a family history of hypertension.
HBP has different causes, based on the food habits of the people. In the West, where packaged foods with high salt content are extensively used, high sodium content in the diet may be the cause of the HBP. The average American consumes around 3400 mg of Sodium per day (1½ times more than the maximum recommended by WHO), out of which more than 70 % comes from packaged foods.
But an average Indian eating home-cooked foods consisting of 2 curries and dal gets only around900mg of Sodium per day, which is less than half of the WHO recommended Sodium intake. So high salt content in the diet may not be the cause of HBP among most Indians. On the other hand, reducing the salt in the diet will adversely affect stomach acid production, aggravating the weak stomach acid problem, which forces many Indians to use Antacids. This, however, does not give blanket permission to use added salt while eating like adding it to the curd rice or indiscriminate use of Pickles, which are a big source of unwanted salt.
HBP among Indians is mostly due to:
a) The potassium / Sodium ratio is less than the WHO norm of 2, due to the low consumption of salads with a variety of vegetables and greens.
b) Magnesium deficiency caused by grain-dominant diets.
c) Protein malnutrition due to low protein in the diet and poor absorption due to weak stomach acid caused by mineral and vitamin deficiency and use of Antacids.
d) Insulin Resistance (IR) due to excessive consumption of refined and fermented grains.
The following figures illustrate the mechanism through which IR causes HBP.
FigureA: All the blood vessels other than those in the brain have a fat layer around them as shown in Figure A.
Figure B:In Insulin Sensitive people, the BP is normalbecause they have a thin and healthy fat layer as shown inFigure B. The Thin Fat layer keeps smooth muscle thin and healthy because of which the channel is wide, and blood can flow without causing HBP. Adequate Nitric Oxide (NO) produced by thethin fat layer further relaxes the blood vessels resulting in healthy BP.
Figure C:Insulin resistance makes the fat layer thick and inflamed. This thickens the smooth muscle which narrows the channel causing high BP. Decreased NO further increases the BP by constricting the blood vessels.
IR and Sodium Reabsorption in the Kidney: IR affects different organs differently. While excess insulin produced by refined and fermented grains (e.g. - Idlies) makes the muscles and fat cells resistant to its action, kidneys remain insulin sensitive. High insulin can increase the sodium reabsorption in the kidneys up to 3000 mg (11/2 times more than the maximum recommended by WHO) causing High BP.
Solution for HBP among Indians: A recent Press Releaseby the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad (NIN), reproduced below along with English translation gives the solution for HBP and other Lifestyle diseases among Indians.
The above seemingly simple solution becomes difficult for many to follow because to reduce BP most of the vegetables need to be consumed in the form of Salad, as curriescontain high fat and Sodium, as shown below:
Our Support
· Eating NIN suggested balanced diet is easier said than done because the body needs to adjust to the raw vegetables in the form of Salad and additional protein.
· Adopting a new lifestyle can present difficulties, given that our food preferences are established as early as in the womb.
· Additionally, humans have a natural instinct for familiarity, and change often takes us out of our comfort zone.
· Our Nutritionists will help you to overcome these challenges.
We provide:
· Coaching to help you reassess limiting beliefs and adjust the pace of lifestyle changes according to your comfort.
· Real-time support allows for quick modifications to make our program more effective.
· A practical approach and modifications that accommodate your current life context, such as work and family priorities.
· Customized dishes that cater to your palate, ensuring long-term sustainability.
· Inclusion of your favorite foods to ensure a balance between health and pleasure.
· Recommendations for appropriate physical activity and monitoring are integral parts of our program.
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