Juhi Kumari
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Written By: Juhi Kumari | Updated : August 22, 2019 9:20 PM IST
Know how you can manage blood pressure levels without medicines. ©Gettyimages
If you are in your mid-30s and have high blood pressure, you may be at risk of cognitive impairment. This is what a a new study published in the journal Lancet Neurology says. This is a health condition that occurs when your blood circulating in the arteries exerts high pressure on its walls. The amount of blood pumped by your heart and the amount of resistance by the arteries in the blood flow determine your blood pressure. According to the Heart Foundation, a blood pressure reading under 120/80 mmHg is considered normal. A reading more than 120/80mmHg and up to 139/89mmHg are considered to be in the normal to high range.
People who have this condition may not exhibit any symptom. But if you experience headaches, dizziness, nosebleed, chest pain, shortness of breath, blood in urine, etc., it could be due to this condition. Your blood pressure can be affected by your sleep, breathing, exercise, emotions, etc. Such effects are temporary.
But obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, stress, old age, smoking, family history of high blood pressure, alcohol dependence, etc. can cause chronic hypertension. If ignored, this condition can lead to serious health problems like heart attack, stroke, heart failure, metabolic syndrome, dementia, trouble with memory, narrowed blood vessels in your kidneys, etc.
For the above-mentioned study, scientists followed 500 people. All of them were born in 1946. They found that those who developed this condition during their 30s and 40s experienced blood vessel damage and brain shrinkage. Though everybody's brain shrinks with age, high blood pressure accelerates the damage.
Additionally, elevated blood pressure between the age of 43 and 53 can potentially cause more damage to your blood vessels and lead to mini strokes when you reach 70. So, do not wait to become old to keep a check on your blood pressure. The most critical time is between 30s and 40s. Therefore, make sure you adopt healthy lifestyle habits from the beginning to reduce your chances of suffering from any such condition.
Elevated blood pressure is estimated to claim the lives of around 7.5 million people globally every year, says WHO. This clearly means that this condition is quite common. And, looking at today's lifestyle habits of most people around us, your probability of suffering from high blood pressure is high. In fact, Journal of the American Society of Hypertension states that the world-wide prevalence of high blood pressure reached more than 1.3 billion in the year 2016.
Today, high blood pressure is a very common condition that can be easily managed with proper care. It is caused by resistance to blood flow in your arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the more high your blood pressure will be. There are very few symptoms and sometimes you may not even be aware that you have this condition. But this is dangerous and if left untreated, it can lead to serious complications like heart attack and stroke. But once detected you can easily take care of it in consultation with your doctor. Along with medical support, you may also try out a few lifestyle and diet modifications to manage this disorder.
So, in case you are suffering from this condition, here is a list of teas that can help you manage your blood pressure.
Green tea is known to have a plethora of health benefits. Usually, people consume this tea to lose weight. According to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, consumption of green tea can significantly lower your blood pressure. During the research, scientists found that intake of this tea for 12 weeks can reduce your blood pressure by 2.6 mmHg systolic and 2.2 mmHg diastolic.
Apart from this, green tea can also reduce inflammation in the heart tissues and prevent various cardiovascular diseases. It is packed with antioxidants and this improves heart health. Considering its benefits, do start drinking green tea twice a day, but do not overconsume it. You must have heard a common saying, 'Excess of everything is bad'. That works here as well.
Herbal tea can lower your blood pressure levels, says a study published in the Journal of Nutrition. During the study, scientists gave hibiscus tea to 65 participants. After six weeks, they were found to have a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure. Not only this, the antioxidant properties of this tea can protect your heart from various ailments that are caused due to the buildup of free radicals. You can opt for hibiscus tea to boost your liver health as well. It is rich in polyphenols, which are compounds with strong anti-cancer properties. Hibiscus tea can fight against bacterial infections too.
It is a Chinese tea that is known to have properties of both dark and green tea. Made from the leaves, buds and stems of the Camellia sinensis plant, oolong tea has a plethora of health benefits. It can potentially improve your heart health as it is rich in antioxidants. If you have extremely high blood pressure, you are advised to consult your doctor before opting for this tea.
According to a study published in the journal PLoS One, drinking black tea daily can significantly help in lowering your systolic and diastolic blood pressure. It can also reduce your risk of getting stroke due to the presence of antioxidants in it. Additionally, it can be consumed for better gut health. Black tea can lower your bad cholesterol, boost your heart health and lower blood sugar level. The perks of drinking this tea is a lot. Being rich in polyphenols, black tea can prevent the risk of developing cancer. Presence of an amino acid called L-theanine improves your concentration and mental health
