Low tension can be relieved by feeding.
Hypertension, a disorder characterized by high blood pressure, is one of the leading causes of death worldwide.
But blood pressure levels that are too low can cause discomfort and unpleasant symptoms . When hypotension is not related to serious pathologies, we can fight it from home through food.
Your blood pressure should be around 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), but there are several factors that can cause it to vary, such as your medical history, age, or general physical condition. If your blood pressure drops below 90/60 mm Hg, it is quite likely that you have hypotension .
If you want to learn how to raise your blood pressure by consuming foods that produce this effect, in this article we will talk about 12 foods that can help you raise blood pressure, as well as the reasons why it is advisable to consume it if you suffer from low blood pressure. blood pressure.
Hypotension: what is it?
Hypotension is a cardiovascular disorder that has several possible causes. There are also different types of hypotension, with different medical causes. Among these types we find the following.
1. Chronic hypotension
For some people, hypotension is a normal feature of their circulatory system. They do not usually have health problems related to their low blood pressure levels, but they may be more prone to orthostatic hypotensive events.
2. Orthostatic hypotension
Orthostatic hypotension is what occurs after getting up quickly after sitting or lying down for a while. It causes unpleasant symptoms of dizziness, vision problems and even fainting, but it resolves itself after a short period of time, from a few seconds to a few minutes.
3. Neurally mediated hypotension
This type of hypotension occurs mainly after spending long periods of time on our feet, or when we suffer from very strong emotional events. It can cause nausea and fainting . At the physiological level, it occurs due to failures in the communication between the central nervous system and the cardiac system.
4. Shock-related hypotension
Shock-related hypotension (shock) is a serious condition, which occurs when the cardiovascular system has collapsed. This type of cardiovascular event occurs accompanied by serious disorders, such as generalized infections (sepsis), heavy bleeding or myocardial infarction.
12 foods to combat hypotension
There are certain dietary measures that can help relieve hypotension. We can separate them into groups according to the benefits they bring us in order to raise blood pressure:
- Foods rich in vitamin B12
- Iron rich foods
- Folate-rich foods
- salty foods
- Foods that regulate blood pressure
Below we list some foods that have these properties, so that you can easily guide yourself when choosing food that helps you control your blood pressure.
1 egg
Eggs have high nutritional value and can be used in a wide variety of recipes. The main benefit of eating eggs to combat low blood pressure is the presence of vitamin B12 in them .
Vitamin B12 is water-soluble and necessary for different processes in the body, such as the proper functioning of the nervous system or the production of red blood cells.
2. Beef
Beef is rich in iron and vitamin B12. Anemia can cause a marked drop in the number of red blood cells, which lowers blood pressure .
That is why foods such as beef, traditionally prescribed for anemic people, can help us regulate blood pressure.
3. Soy milk
Soy milk and products derived from it, such as tofu , also provide us with a reasonable amount of vitamin B12. It is a good vegetarian option to supplement the amount of this vitamin in our body, raising our blood pressure to healthier levels.
4. Asparagus
Folate, also known as vitamin B9, has similar effects to vitamin B12 . This means that if our folate levels are not acceptable, our red blood cell population can be reduced, making our hypotension worse.
Asparagus are vegetables rich in folate, in such a way that 90 g of asparagus provide us with 34% of the recommended daily dose of this vitamin. In addition, they contain vitamin K, A and it is a good source of antioxidants that can help us reduce inflammation levels or prevent the formation of neoplasms.
- It may interest you: “The 12 foods richest in vitamin A”
5. Chickpeas
Chickpeas, like other legumes, are rich in protein, fiber and vitamins. In themselves they are a great food to add to our regular diet, but this is doubly true if we suffer from hypotension.
Chickpeas contain high amounts of folate and iron , in addition to other vitamins and minerals such as zinc or vitamin B6. It is a perfect food to help us raise blood pressure by increasing our red blood cell count.
6. Liver
Liver is considered a superfood due to its high nutritional value. It contains a series of vitamins and minerals that are ideal to help in cases of anemia, so that it can regulate our blood pressure.
A portion of liver provides us with more than 860% of the recommended daily dose of vitamin A , which helps vision, kidneys and maintain good cardiovascular health. It also contains a high amount of folate and iron, components that, as we have mentioned, help raise our blood pressure.
7. Ham
Ham, in addition to being delicious and very typical of Spain, can help us raise blood pressure. Foods rich in salt are traditionally avoided by hypertensives, since they are not interested in increasing their already high blood pressure. Conversely, people with hypotension may benefit from adding more salt to their diet. Yes, in moderation.
Ham, in addition to having a high salt content, will provide us with the benefits of eating meat , which, as we have seen, help maintain blood pressure in cases of hypotension.
8. Broth
Broths, especially the traditional ones that contain animal bones, are a food that can help us enormously to increase our tension. Its high salt content, added to being a liquid food, will raise our blood pressure .
Hydration is one of the main factors through which we can raise our blood pressure. Drinking enough fluids daily is a great ally for this task.
9. Soy sauce
A quick and tasty way to add salt to our dishes is by using soy sauce. This sauce of Chinese origin, common in any Asian restaurant or supermarket, has a high salt content that can raise our blood pressure.
In addition to salt, it also contains high levels of folate and calcium , both allies in our work to relieve chronic hypotension.
10. Olives
Olives are a very healthy food in themselves, as well as being a constant in the (very healthy) Mediterranean diet . Olives in general have high salt values, due to the fact that they are usually transported in brine or pickled.
Additionally, black olives in particular have a healthy amount of iron, which can help raise our blood pressure.
11. Licorice
Licorice is a food that can help with hypotension, but not because of its nutritional components. It has been observed that licorice, consumed as an infusion or directly as a stick, is capable of regulating our hormone aldosterone , which in turn is responsible for controlling the levels of salts in our body.
The regulation of aldosterone causes better control of blood pressure, so it is a good food for people suffering from hypotension, although the consumption of licorice on a regular basis is very detrimental to our health.
12. Coffee
Coffee (and tea) are also allies when it comes to raising our blood pressure. Caffeine and theine are capable of raising our blood pressure momentarily, since they stimulate the heart by increasing its rhythm.
You have to be careful, since being a diuretic substance it can make us dehydrated if we consume it in excess, which is terrible if our goal is to maintain healthy blood pressure levels.
Bibliographic references
- Omar, HR, Komarova, I., El-Ghonemi, M., Fathy, A., Rashad, R., Abdelmalak, H. D, Camporesi, EM (2012). Licorice abuse: time to send a warning message. Therapeutic advances in endocrinology and metabolism, 3(4), 125–138. doi:10.1177/2042018812454322.
- O’Leary, F., & Samman, S. (2010). Vitamin B12 in health and disease. Nutrients, 2(3), 299–316. doi:10.3390/nu2030299.
- Henry, CJ, Nemkov, T., Casás-Selves, M., Bilousova, G., Zaberezhnyy, V., Higa, KC, … DeGregori, J. (2017). Folate dietary insufficiency and folic acid supplementation similarly impair metabolism and compromise hematopoiesis. Haematologica, 102(12), 1985–1994. doi:10.3324/haematol.2017.171074.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.