Hypertension is a health problem that affects a large part of the population, it is estimated that In Spain it affects between 33 and 43 percent of the adult population And, although many people who suffer from it do not have symptoms, it is important to diagnose it to be able to treat it, because sometimes, the high -treated high blood pressure increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and other serious health problems. While some people are asymptomatic, others do have symptoms, such as headaches, lack of air or nasal bleeding, which are not too specific and that do not usually appear until the citation is critical, so prevention is so important.
In most cases There is no clear cause For hypertension, there are also situations in which high tension is caused by a disease or by the consumption of a certain medication. It may be due to the absence of physical exercise or excess salt consumption, but also by have low levels of potassiumsomething that also influences the control of arterial hypertension, but is not as well known as the above factors.
Potassium, thus influences the control of arterial hypertension
There are many factors that increase the risk of high pressure, Some cannot avoid them, such as age, family history or genetics (although it is good to take them into account to make us review), but there are others in which we can intervene, as changing certain habits in our lifestyle.
We can reduce the consumption of caffeine and alcohol, as well as try to do the same with stress levels, it is also important to sleep enough, exercise physical and take care of food. This last point is key on many occasions, because for a long time we have clear of the importance it has for good health, in the case of hypertension special emphasis is placed on the salt consumption and the importance of reducing itfor example, changing it for spices when cooking, to avoid that the dishes are boring or bland.
However, over time they have explored more routes, because although it seems important to reduce salt consumption, It could also be essential to increase potassium. Salt is rich in sodium, and sodium and potassium could be considered ‘opposite’, while sodium increases blood pressure, potassium decreases it. “Potassium would help Eliminate excess sodium through urineand also relaxes the walls of the arteries, allowing blood to flow more easily, ”explains Dr. Roberto Martín Reyes, head of cardiology service at La Luz University Hospital, for Feed.
How to increase potassium consumption
Both aspects are complementaryit is not about increasing potassium consumption without more, but Do it at the same time that salt is reduced. While the latter seems simple, we simply stop incorporating it into the preparations, consuming more potassium is not always so easy, because we usually only associate it with bananas. However, we can also find it in green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, root vegetables or tubers, such as carrots and potatoes, or fruits such as grapes or citrus, such as oranges and grapefruits.
In case it is necessary, our doctor could recommend us to take it as a supplement.
References
Causes and Risk Factors | NHLBI, NIH. (2024, May 22). NHLBI, NIH. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/es/salud/presion-arterial-alta/causas
High blood pressure (hypertension) – Symptoms & Causes – May Clinic. (2022, February 28). MAY CLINIC. https://www.mayoclinic.org/es/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/symptoms-causes/syc-20373410
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