High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a medical condition that is thought to affect around a third of all adults in the UK. It means that the heart has to work harder to pump blood around the body.
Over time this puts extra strain on the heart as well as other organs and the blood vessels and can cause damage.
It is also a factor in many serious health conditions and illnesses, including heart disease, kidney disease, strokes, heart failure and heart attacks.
There are a number of factors that can raise your blood pressure, with diet being a key one.
Consuming too much salt is one of the biggest culprits for this.
Sodium, found in salt, causes the body to hold on to water and pull water into the bloodstream, raising blood pressure.
With this in mind, a TV health expert shared simple ways to reduce the amount of salt you eat and lower your blood pressure.
In a recent Instagram post, NHS GP Doctor Amir Khan – known for his regular appearances on ITV’s Lorraine and Good Morning Britain, explained: “If you don’t have high blood pressure then there’s still a debate about how much salt will affect you, but if you do have high blood pressure listen up.
“Adults should only have around six grams or one level teaspoon of salt a day – most of that is already included in the food we eat so try not to add salt to your food.
“Instead, season it with things like pepper and herbs and spices.”
One easy way to lower your salt intake without making much difference to your normal diet is to buy tinned food in unsalted water, he said.
Dr Khan added: “If you buy tinned food go for it in water rather than salty brine; and for nuts, always go for unsalted.”
The expert also recommended eating more “potassium-rich foods” such as bananas, tomatoes and carrots.
This is because potassium can help you process sodium out of the body.
Dr Khan also stressed the importance of exercising regularly and achieving a healthy weight – both of which go hand in hand, as well as stopping smoking and limiting alcohol consumption.
The NHS backs all of these lifestyle changes to help reduce your blood pressure and states your doctor may prescribe certain medications to help keep it under control.
Blood pressure is considered high if you’ve had a reading of 140/90mmHG from a pharmacy, GP surgery or clinic – or 135/85mmHg if you took the reading at home.
The first number refers to the force at which your heart pumps blood around the body, and the second is the resistance to the blood flow in your blood vessels between heartbeats.
According to the NHS, persistent high blood pressure raises your risk for:
Persistent high blood pressure can increase your risk of a number of serious and potentially life-threatening health conditions, such as:
- Heart disease
- Heart attacks
- Strokes
- Heart failure
- Peripheral arterial disease
- Aortic aneurysms
- Kidney disease
- Vascular dementia.
If you are concerned about your blood pressure you should speak to your GP.