Contents:
- Medical Video: 5 Foods for High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy
- Yogurt lowers blood pressure
- Yogurt prevents complications of hypertension in women
- Yogurt stabilizes blood pressure in non-hypertensive women
Medical Video: 5 Foods for High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy
Yogurt has a myriad of benefits for the health of the body besides launching a bowel movement. Especially for women with hypertension, getting used to eating yogurt at least two servings every week can help prevent complications of hypertension in the heart. How can?
Yogurt lowers blood pressure
High blood pressure or hypertension occurs when blood pressure is higher than 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mmHG). Hypertension that is not managed properly has the potential to cause complications in the heart, kidneys, and various other vital organs of the body.
Well, quoting from WebMD, a study shows that adults who are accustomed to eating yogurt about 2-3 servings per day experience a decrease in tension of up to 50% compared to people who have never eaten yogurt at all.
Another study also reported similar things. In addition to helping to reduce blood pressure, regular eating two servings of yogurt every week minimizes the risk or even helps prevent complications of hypertension related to cardiovaxular disease.
The benefits of yogurt are derived from the content of potassium, which can get rid of excess sodium from the body. Sodium is a mineral that acts to increase blood pressure. Sodium is found in foods high in salt.
The decrease in the risk of complications of heart disease is actually equally felt by men and women who are accustomed to eating yogurt every week. However, the effect specifically looks different to women.
Yogurt prevents complications of hypertension in women
According to a study by the American Journal of Hypertension published by Oxford University Press, both men and women who regularly eat yogurt at least two servings of yogurt per week decreased their risk of stroke or coronary heart disease by 20 percent lower.
Interestingly, the same study showed that the reduced risk of heart attack as a complication of hypertension was much lower in women who diligently ate yogurt than men. The risk of heart attack is reported to be 30% lower for women, while in men only around 19 percent.
In addition, the routine of eating yogurt weekly is also associated with a reduced risk of having to undergo vascular surgery such as heart bypass or angioplasty, up to 16 percent for women who have hypertension.
The study looked at around 55,000 women and 18,000 men with high blood pressure after putting aside other factors that might affect changes in blood pressure. For example age, race, family history, physical activity, and diet.
Yogurt stabilizes blood pressure in non-hypertensive women
Other studies have also found a connection to how yogurt can minimize or even completely prevent the risk of hypertensive complications related to heart problems in women.
The results of the study showed that healthy women (in the sense of not at risk or having a history of hypertension) whose daily diet most suited the DASH diet and also consuming five servings of yogurt or more a week had a 31 percent lower risk of developing high blood pressure. This compared with women who did not take the DASH diet and only ate one serving of yogurt per week or even less than that.
The DASH diet is a diet to reduce intake of sodium (salt), fat, and cholesterol. Instead, this diet makes you increase your intake of protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals from vegetables and fruits and whole grains and nuts
