As of: February 29, 2024, 5:07 a.m
By: Susanne Sasse
Comments
Press
Split
Blood pressure can be massively influenced by diet, explains vascular surgeon Prof. Jörg Heckenkamp.
So medication is not the only remedy.
High blood pressure often occurs when people are overweight and lack exercise.
Losing weight helps, especially the belly fat has to go: For every ten kilograms of weight lost, you can lower your blood pressure by around 12:8 mmHg.
But that doesn't mean that enjoyment is taboo - vascular-healthy cuisine is versatile and tasty.
So you can feast with pleasure and optimize your blood pressure, blood lipids and blood sugar, improve the elasticity of the vessels and slow down hidden inflammatory processes in the body.
It works easier than you think, says Prof. Jörg Heckenkamp, director of the Center for Vascular Medicine at Marienhospital Osnabrück and head of the
German Society for Vascular Medicine and Vascular Surgery (DGG)
.
Here are his tips:
Healthy and tasty are not a contradiction
There is no need to go without - with one exception: "We see a direct influence of hydrogenated fats on the hardness of a vein," says Heckenkamp and explains: "You are always as old as your blood vessels." Changing your diet has an enormous effect.
According to Heckenkamp, the ideal diet is based on the recipes from the “Cookbook for Healthy Vessels”, which was published by Humboldt and whose recipes are scientifically based.
Hardened fats in particular are poisonous for the blood vessels, says Prof. Jörg Heckenkamp.
© Nils Stensen Clinics
Every single meal makes a difference.
This is shown by a study in which half of the participants ate low-fat cornflakes for breakfast, the other half ate sausages, hash browns and bacon.
Shortly afterwards, the high-fat breakfast had an impact on blood values and vein elasticity.
And it took a full four hours for the values to return to normal.
The reason: The trans fats used for deep-frying in particular damage the flexibility of the blood vessels - this is one of the causes of high blood pressure.
Vegetables of all shapes and colors help keep blood pressure under control.
© Panthermedia/IgorVetushko
The right fats are very healthy for the blood vessels
Not all fat is unhealthy, on the contrary.
According to nutritional science, we should cover 30 percent of our energy needs through fats.
But it depends on which fats: While “bad fats” stick to the walls of the arteries and ensure that they “calcify”, “good fats” keep the vessels healthy, elastic and permeable.
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as those found in olive oil, nuts, fish and avocados, have a beneficial effect on vascular health and blood pressure.
“A handful of nuts every day would be ideal,” advises Heckenkamp.
My news
Do you always wake up at the same time?
The Chinese organ clock could provide the explanation
Pancreatic cancer: More and more women are suffering from the silent killer reading
Awake at the “wolf hour” between two and three o’clock: How to sleep read on
Clear your nose in just one minute - without nasal spray or other medication
Detoxification patches for feet: Detox miracle cure or rather a rip-off?read
Possible sign of a heart attack?
What you need to know if your heart is racing at night
Don't miss out: You can find everything about health in the newsletter of our partner 24vita.de.
Fatty acids are chains of carbon atoms linked with single or double bonds.
Depending on how many double bonds they contain, the fats belong to the group of saturated or polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids.
Saturated fatty acids make fats solid and increase blood lipid levels: coconut fat consists of 87 percent, butter 62 percent.
You can also achieve a lot when baking and frying: avoid palm oil in blocks, clarified butter and frying margarine and use vegetable oils.
Low-salt diet
A low-salt diet can significantly reduce blood pressure.
This even applies to people who are already taking medication to lower blood pressure.
This is the result of an American study with 213 participants between the ages of 50 and 75.
The blood pressure-lowering effect (mean arterial pressure) occurred in around three quarters of the test subjects after just one week and was independent of age, gender, ethnic group, body mass index and diabetes.
The team led by Norrina Allen from Northwestern University in Chicago presents their study in the journal
Jama
.
You should avoid trans fats completely.
The body cannot metabolize these and so they end up in the blood vessels.
Trans fats are added to coconut fat to harden it.
Trans fats are formed naturally when oils are heated past their smoke point.
For butter, the smoke point is 175 degrees Celsius.
Cold-pressed olive oil and rapeseed oil reach around 130 degrees.
Heckenkamp's tip: Bake cakes and bread longer and less hot.
Homemade and plant-based dishes without additives are typical of the Mediterranean diet.
© Nano Calvo/Imago
A plant-based diet is the best way to lower blood pressure
A plant-based diet lowers blood pressure the most.
It also improves the elasticity of blood vessels.
Energy needs should be met primarily from plants, with small additions of fish, meat and dairy products.
There is also reliable study data on fiber, for example from whole grain products.
“By taking a detour via the intestinal flora and fat digestion, they optimize both blood sugar and blood lipid levels,” emphasizes Heckenkamp.
These foods are natural blood pressure lowerers
Olive oil, garlic, horseradish, lamb's lettuce, kale, spinach, beetroot, asparagus, white beans, peas, apricots, rhubarb, pistachios, walnuts, coconut milk and tomato paste are considered natural blood pressure lowerers.
Anyone who consumes a lot of sugar has an increased risk of obesity, high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases.
In almost half of all hypertension patients, too much salt increases blood pressure again.
The limit here is a maximum of five grams per day.
It is often underestimated how much salt is contained in bread, sausage and cheese.
Ready meals in particular usually contain significantly too much salt.
It's better to cook yourself and season with herbs.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. It in no way replaces a visit to the doctor. Our editorial team is not allowed to answer individual questions about medical conditions.