Suffering From Hypertension? Make Yoghurt A Part Of Your Diet To Manage High Blood Pressure Levels

Hypertension or high blood pressure can be managed by making small changes in your diet. A new study has found that yoghurt can help people manage their blood pressure levels.

High blood pressure or hypertension is one of the most common diseases affecting millions of people across the globe. If left unmanaged, it can lead to life-threatening diseases related to the heart, eyes, brain and kidney. Poor lifestyle habits such as excessive consumption of alcohol, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, etc. are the major cause of the disease.

Known as the silent killer, hypertension is the high force of blood against the arteries that can cause serious damage to your blood vessels and lead to heart diseases. For the unversed, normal blood pressure levels should stay between 80-120 mm/Hg anything above this can be problematic. It is best to consult a doctor if the numbers elevate on a daily basis.

Do Foods Help Manage High Blood Pressure?

As per the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 116 million Americans have excessive blood pressure, which is a primary cause of the cardiovascular disease (CVD). Only 24% of those with diabetes have it under control. CVDs, such as heart attacks and strokes, are the major cause of death and disability worldwide.

Since it is a lifestyle disease, many studies have found that making small changes in your life can have a great impact on someone with hypertension. While prescribed medication is one solution to keep your blood pressure levels in check, there are certain foods that can help keep it under control. According to a study published in the 'International Dairy Journal,' consuming yoghurt regularly can help manage blood pressure levels.

Benefits Of Yoghurt For Hypertension

After analysing the data of 915 community-dwelling adults from the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study, the researchers found that yoghurt is associated with reducing blood pressure for those suffering from hypertension. According to UniSA researcher Dr Alexandra Wade, this study offered new data linking yoghurt to better blood pressure results in hypertensive adults. According to Dr Wade, high blood pressure is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease, so they are trying to come up with ways to regulate it. One way to control these numbers is eating yoghurt regularly, as per the study.

"Dairy foods, especially yoghurt, may be capable of reducing blood pressure. This is because dairy foods contain a range of micronutrients, including calcium, magnesium and potassium, all of which are involved in the regulation of blood pressure." Wade explained.

"Yoghurt is especially interesting because it also contains bacteria that promote the release of proteins which lowers blood pressure. This study showed for people with elevated blood pressure, even small amounts of yoghurt were associated with lower blood pressure," Wade explained.

"And for those who consumed yoghurt regularly, the results were even stronger, with blood pressure readings nearly seven points lower than those who did not consume yoghurt," Wade said.

Note: This is only general advice, please consult a professional medical practitioner to know for certain.