HOW TO PREVENT HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE: 11 IMPORTANT HABITS - GEOGRAFÍA - 2025

High blood pressure can be prevented with a series of essential habits that modify and improve quality of life, and physical and mental well-being. Although this drug is often prescribed when going to the doctor, it may be advisable to take natural measures before taking it.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, increases your risk of developing serious health problems, such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, or liver disease.

There are factors such as age, ethnicity and genetics that you cannot control, but you can control your lifestyle and that is why I will focus on it.

Factors influencing blood pressure

The main factors that influence the possible development of blood pressure are:

• Lifestyle: Certain lifestyle habits can increase the risk of high blood pressure, such as eating too much sodium or not having enough potassium, lack of exercise, drinking too much alcohol, and smoking.
• Weight: people who are overweight or obese are more likely to develop hypertension.
• Age: Blood pressure tends to increase with age.
• Race / Ethnicity: High blood pressure is more common in African American adults.
• Gender: Before age 55, men are more likely than women to develop high blood pressure. After age 55, women are more likely than men to develop it.
• Family history: A family history of high blood pressure increases the risk of developing prehypertension or hypertension.

11 habits to prevent hypertension

To avoid hypertension, follow a lifestyle that makes you build the following essential habits:

1-Maintain an adequate weight

To control hypertension, it is essential that you maintain an adequate weight. Overweight people will have to try to lose weight, while those of the right weight will have to maintain their weight.

If you are overweight, losing just 4.5 kilograms can help prevent hypertension. Here's how you can calculate your body mass index:

Quetelet's Body Mass Index (BMI) = Weight (Kg) / height (m)

• BMI> 25 = overweight
• BMI 20-25 = normal
• BMI 18-20) = underweight

2-Exercise frequently

Physical activity is fundamental; it will improve circulation and maintain your weight, in addition to many other benefits. Starting at 30 minutes three times a week is fine.

People who exercise are 20-50% less likely to have low blood pressure than people who are not active.

3-Control your blood pressure

Make sure to check your blood pressure regularly, either at home or at a medical facility. High blood pressure can occur without symptoms, so you can only check it with a test.

Make sure your lifestyle changes are working, and notify your doctor if you see potential health complications. Blood pressure monitors are widely available without a prescription.

Regular visits to your doctor are also important to control your blood pressure. If your blood pressure is well controlled, check with your doctor how often you should measure it. Your doctor may suggest checking it daily or less frequently.

4-Eliminate the salt

The higher the sodium intake, the higher the blood pressure.

In addition to avoiding table salt, you have to be careful with processed and packaged foods.

5-Reduce or eliminate alcohol

Drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure. To prevent this, limit the alcohol you drink or eliminate it entirely.

Here you can read other effects of alcohol on the brain.

6-Reduce stress

Stress can also contribute to increasing blood pressure. There are many ways you can use to reduce it.

If you suffer from it, I recommend you read this article and practice some of these relaxation techniques.

7-Avoid smoking

Smoking tobacco raises your blood pressure and puts you at higher risk for heart attacks and cardiovascular disease.

If you don't smoke, avoid doing it even passively. If you do, quitting will have great benefits.

8-Keep a balanced diet

Maintaining a balanced diet will allow you to keep hypertension at bay. There are some nutrients that can help prevent high blood pressure:

• Potassium: You can get enough potassium from your diet, so no supplement is necessary. Many fruits and fish are good sources of potassium.
• Calcium: the population with low calcium intake has a higher rate of high blood pressure. However, calcium intake has not been proven to prevent high blood pressure. However, it's important to make sure you're taking at least the minimum recommended amount: 1000 milligrams a day for adults ages 19-50 and 1200 mg for those over 50. Foods like milk, yogurt, and cheese are good sources of calcium.
• Magensio: A low magnesium diet can increase your blood pressure. However, taking extra magnesium is not recommended to prevent it; it is enough with what you take in a healthy diet. It is found in whole grains, green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, dried peas, and beans.
• Garlic: There is some evidence that garlic may lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol, and reduce some cancers.

If you are going to take a dietary supplement, it is advisable to speak with your doctor first. It can interact with some medication you are taking and have side effects, or you may be allergic to any of its components.

9-Reduce caffeine

The role caffeine plays in blood pressure is still debated. Caffeine can raise blood pressure by as much as 10 mm Hg in people who rarely consume it. Conversely, people who drink coffee regularly may experience little or no effect on their blood pressure.

Although the long-term effects of caffeine on blood pressure are unclear, it is possible for blood pressure to increase slightly.

To find out if caffeine raises your blood pressure, check your blood pressure within 30 minutes of drinking a caffeinated beverage. If your blood pressure rises by 5 to 10 mm Hg, you may be sensitive to the effects of caffeine on blood pressure.

10-eat less processed food

Most of the extra salt in the diet comes from processed foods and restaurant foods, not from the salt shaker at home. Popular high-salt products include cold cuts, canned soup, pizza, potato chips, and processed snacks.

Foods labeled "low-fat" are generally high in salt and sugar to compensate for fat loss. Fat is what gives food flavor and makes you feel full.

Cutting back, or even better eliminating, processed foods will help you eat less salt, less sugar, and fewer refined carbohydrates. All of this can lead to lower blood pressure.

11-Foods to avoid

Try to avoid the following foods in your diet:

• Salt: pay attention to labels, especially processed foods.
• Sausages.
• Frozen pizza.
• Pickled foods: to preserve food you need salt.
• Canned food.
• Sugar.
• Any packaged food.
• Coffee.
• Alcohol.

And what do you do to prevent hypertension? I am interested in your opinion. Thank you!