High blood pressure or hypertension, a sign of elevated pressure of blood coursing through the blood vessels does not necessarily exhibit obvious symptoms. However over a period of time, consistently high blood pressure, can damage and scar the blood vessels, adversely affect the heart, kidneys and brain and also lead to strokes, blindness, kidney failure and even heart failure. It is thus important to monitor your blood pressure and keep a check on it if you have a tendency towards hypertension. The first step towards controlling high blood pressure is leading a healthy lifestyle with a proper diet, reduced amounts of stress and a strict exercise regime.
The diet of blood pressure patients should be low in saturated fats and cholesterol, concentrating on fruits, vegetables, low-calorie dairy products, whole-grain products, fish, poultry and nuts. The diet is essentially rich in magnesium, potassium, calcium, proteins and fibre. You should cut down your intake of salt since sodium increases fluid retention, indirectly increasing the amount of blood forcing the blood vessels to exert more in order to circulate the blood. It is important to maintain a balance between sodium and potassium, so you should increase your intake of potassium through natural sources such as bananas. Garlic is very beneficial in controlling high blood pressure, so it should be used liberally in food and a few cloves of garlic should be swallowed every morning with a glass of water to reduce blood pressure.
answered by G M