Most of the times lifestyle changes and simple home remedies can be more effective to control hypertension than the conventional medicines. The challenge is to stick to the lifestyle changes. Yogurt is one such simple remedy for hypertension.
Most people can't continue with the lifestyle and dietary changes required to control blood pressure, therefore they have to go for the medicines.
If you are one of those who has the desire and commitment to treat high blood pressure naturally then eating yogurt regularly along with making some lifestyle changes. Do regular exercise, sleep well and eat right foods to get rid of your high blood pressure.
Table of Contents
What is High Blood Pressure?
Let us first understand hypertension in its entirety. This will help you to appreciate why lifestyle and dietary changes can reduce your blood pressure significantly and improve your heart's health.
Our heart is a pump that pumps and circulates blood through the arteries to the entire body. Blood pressure is the force with which the blood hits the walls of blood vessels.
Blood pressure measurements have two readings, the higher number is called systolic and the lower number is called diastolic. A normal blood pressure reading is 120/80 where 120 is a systolic pressure and 80 is diastolic pressure.
Any reading consistently remaining above 120 systolic or 80 diastolic is called high blood pressure or hypertension.
High blood pressure means the heart has to pump more blood through narrow arteries. This causes the heart to work more, leading to heart becoming weak over a long period of sustained high blood pressure. It cans cause stiffening of arteries (arteriosclerosis), heart failure and stroke.
What Causes High Blood Pressure?
The exact causes of high blood pressure are still not known, but there are a number of conditions that have been found to increase blood pressure.
Lifestyle disorders such as smoking, lack of exercise or sedentary life, alcoholism, eating high sodium diet, overeating and stress can cause hypertension.
Health conditions such as obesity, thyroid disorders, chronic kidney disease and sleep apnea can also cause high blood pressure. Other causes include family history of high blood pressure, genetics and old age.
Men are affected more than the women and black people are at almost double the risk of developing high blood pressure as compared to white people.
So if you are in any of the above risk groups then check your blood pressure.
There are generally no symptoms of high blood pressure. That is why it remains undetected until it has caused significant damage to the arteries and the heart. That is when it begins to show symptoms that can be experienced. These symptoms include headache, shortness of breath and nosebleed.
Since blood pressure generally has no symptoms, doctors usually measure your blood pressure whenever you visit them. If they find your blood pressure high then will ask you to monitor it. If the blood pressure reading is consistently high on different occasions then you will be diagnosed with high blood pressure. You will have to begin lifestyle changes and if required take medication.
How Yogurt Controls Blood Pressure?
Yogurt is packed with nutrients that improve your gut health, build strong bones and lower blood pressure.
Yogurt contains minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium that balances the sodium in the blood to control high blood pressure. Most people are deficient in potassium and have more sodium.
Various scientific studies also have found that eating yogurt regularly reduces high blood pressure. Once such study of 2000 volunteers over a period of 15 years according to American Heart Association’s High Blood Pressure Scientific Sessions in 2012 indicates that people who consume yogurt regularly are 33% less likely to develop hypertension.
A recent 2016 study on 17,000 women for 30 years (1) has also suggested that women who eat yogurt regularly are 20% less likely to develop high blood pressure.
Blood pressure of yogurt eaters rise less than the non yogurt eaters.
How to Use Yogurt to Control High Blood Pressure?
You can use yogurt for high blood pressure in many different ways. If you prefer just snack on yogurt. it is not just good for your blood pressure alone. It helps in building your bones and in improving your digestive health.
Following are 3 easy to follow ways to consume yogurt for high blood pressure. ;
1. Eat a Cup of Yogurt
So eat a cup of organic yogurt daily.
- Eat 200grams of plain organic yogurt at snack times or
- Eat Yogurt with Quinoa or Rice or
- Dilute yogurt with water and enjoy the drink
Do not add sugar or salt to yogurt. It will take away the benefits.
2. Yogurt and Banana
Potassium rich bananas reduce high blood pressure. You can make smoothies to make eating yogurt more appealing and control blood pressure.
- Toss a peeled and cut banana in a blender
- Add 200 grams of plain organic yogurt
- Add some water if required
- Blend well
- Drink and enjoy
3. Spinach Yogurt Smoothie
- Clean 100 grams of baby spinach and put it in a blender
- Add 200 grams yogurt
- Add a peeled and cut banana
- Blend well
- Drink and enjoy the smoothie
You can change the proportions of spinach, banana and yogurt to suit your taste to make green smoothie for blood pressure.
You can also add other potassium rich fruits to make varieties of smoothies. Add papaya, mango, prune, cantaloupe, honeydew melon and watermelon in your smoothies.
You can make a different smoothie every day to eat yogurt and banana as well as other potassium rich fruits to enjoy the variety.
Precautions and Tips
In addition to taking yogurt to control your blood pressure, you should take the following precautions to ensure that you lead a healthy lifestyle and you prevent all possibilities of high blood pressure.
- Reduce your weight if you are obese or have excess weight. High blood pressure is often caused by high weight.
- Exercise regularly. 40 minutes of brisk walk is enough if you can't do other things.
- Eat a healthy diet. This is good for preventing many other health conditions too.
- Reduce sodium content in your diet. Be careful when you buy canned food. All are high in sodium.
- Quit smoking and reduce alcohol and caffeine consumption.
- Learn to reduce stress
In addition to all the above, monitor your blood pressure regularly. You can take simple actions like adding yogurt to your daily diet to lower your blood pressure if it has begun to increase.