Blood PressureBlood Pressure is the force of blood as it pushes against artery walls as it travels from the heart to the rest of the body. Blood pressure is measured as systolic pressure over diastolic pressure, for example 120/80. Systolic pressure measures the pressure as the heart beats, which makes it higher that diastolic pressure, which measures the pressures on the arteries between beats. A reading of 140(systolic)/90(distolic) while at rest would qualify as high blood pressure in most adults.
High blood pressure can cause aneurysms, narrowed blood vessels, hardening of the arteries, and an enlarged heart. These problems can lead to heart failure, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, vision changes and blindness.
Control Your Blood Pressure with Fruits and Vegetables
Eating at least 1 1/2 times as much potassium as sodium may help to control blood pressure. Eating two or three high-potassium fruits (apricots, peaches, nectarines, cantaloupe and honeydew) and four to five vegetables every day as part of a low-sodium diet may achieve this.
Sources: National Heart Lung and Blood InstitutePrevention Magazine |