Article Highlights
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The relationship between weight loss and your blood pressure
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How being overweight affects your hearts work-rate
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The healthiest rate at which to lose weight
If you’ve ever spent time trying to come up with a strategy of how to lower blood pressure, you’ll know that it’s often no easy task. When it comes to your blood pressure, however, it may be best for some to just keep it plain and simple: hone in on a healthy weight. Lowering your blood pressure is just one of the many heart health benefits of weight loss. Speak to your doctor regarding weight loss as exercise and weight loss alone may not lower cholesterol.
It’s quite a simple relationship that exists between your weight and your blood pressure. Basically, the more there is of you, the harder your heart has to work. That means that if you’re overweight, your heart is working harder than it should be. According to the American Heart Association, losing as little as 10 pounds can lower your blood pressure.[1]
It is important to note though that speed is not the goal here. Results can be accomplished through small cuts in calorie intake and added exercise. In order to lose one pound per week, you need to burn 3,500 calories more in that week span than you consume.[2] It’s important to speak to your doctor about the healthiest approach for your body.
Breaking that down to one day at a time, it’s as simple as eating 250 calories less than your daily allotment and burning 250 calories more. Avoid resorting to crash diets for rapid weight loss, as this can both make it harder to keep the weight off and put unnecessary strain on your heart—which of course nullifies the weight loss benefits you sought in the first place.
For more information on how to maintain (normal or healthy) blood pressure and the benefits of a healthy weight, speak to your doctor today, and ask how MegaRed can promote a healthy heart when a part of a regimen of diet and exercise. If supplements could be of benefit to you, MegaRed Superior Omega-3 Krill Oil is three times purer than regular krill oil and the pleasant softgels leave no fishy aftertaste, providing you with easily absorbed Omega-3 fatty acids and no concerns of smelly breath.
How Are Salt & Your Blood Pressure Related?
Eating too much salt can cause some people to experience an increase in blood pressure. For some, too much sodium in the body can cause excess fluid which can overwork the heart. Today the average American consumes more than double of the recommended sodium intake at 3,400mg of sodium per day.[3]
Not everyone’s blood pressure is equally affected by excessive salt intake. If someone’s body is salt sensitive and there is excess sodium in the bloodstream, the kidneys will not be able to regulate it and it will continue to stay in the bloodstream. This eventually causes water to be pulled into the body, increasing the amount of blood and thus increasing blood pressure.
There is more to reducing sodium intake than decreasing the use of the salt shaker. Be aware of the amount of sodium in the food you purchase by checking labels. Processed foods can contain up to 75% of the sodium consumed.[4] Striking a balance between the amount of sodium and potassium is a great way for regulating your blood pressure.
Studies have shown that diets low in potassium have the same effect on blood pressure as high amounts of salt.[5] Eating a wide variety of veggies, fruits, and legumes is a great way to incorporate more potassium-rich foods in your diet.
Understanding which foods are high in salt and blood pressure consequences can help decrease the risk of high blood pressure, which can prevent any vascular damage that can happen to your body in the long run. It’s important to begin calculating how much salt is already on your food and how much you should add to keep your blood pressure at a lower rate. Even if you are young and healthy, being aware of your sodium intake and by reducing consumption of sodium will help maintain the normal blood pressure.
To put it simply, if we’re having too much salt in our food, our kidneys won’t be able to act quickly enough, causing a sodium build-up leading to high blood pressure. A main focus in ensuring you have a normal blood pressure is to limit the amount of salt you have per day.
* THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT DISEASE.
**SIMOPOULIS 2011/P204/A, B (SIMOPOULIS AP MOL. NEUROBIOL. 2011/44:203-215)
† Supportive, but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA Omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. ♦The MegaRed 3X formulation uses a self microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) technology to support high absorption. Studies show that applying the SMEDDS technology to highly concentrated fish oils dramatically improve the absorption of both EPA and DHA
[1] “Managing Weight to Control High Blood Pressure” American Heart Association, Sep 2017.
[2] “Counting Calories: Get back to weight-loss basics” Mayo Clinic, Apr 2015.
[3] “Sodium and Salt” American Heart Association, Apr 2017.
[4] “Use the Nutrition Facts Label to Reduce Your Intake of Sodium in Your Diet” US Food & Drug Administration, Mar 2018.
[5] “Low Potassium Linked to High Blood Pressure” Science Daily, Nov 2008.