Diet is a major cause of high blood pressure. But changing your diet is difficult. However, if you can cut one food from your diet, you can easily lower your blood pressure.
Dr. Liwei Chen of Louisiana State University led a team that followed 810 adults with borderline hypertension. The study lasted for 18 months. At the start of the study, the participants drank (on average) one 12-oz sugar-sweetened serving each day. The researchers asked the participants to simply cut their consumption.
Those who were able to knock out the sugar drink totally reduced their systolic pressure by 1.8 and the diastolic by 1.1. That may not seem like much, but even a small decrease in blood pressure can significantly reduce your risk of vascular events. And over the years, the drop would be even more significant.
Sugar increases insulin. Insulin will raise your blood pressure. Sugar might also make your blood thicker. Increased viscosity is a major heart disease risk. It leads to a need for higher pressure to move the thick blood.
So, eliminate sugary foods from your diet. That includes high fructose corn syrup. It does NOT include fruit! The natural fiber, vitamins, minerals, and water in fruit are good for your body!.
