It seems that Americans are getting too much sodium in their diets.
Excess sodium raises blood pressure and makes it difficult to lose weight. Hypertension can lead to heart attack and stroke so it is worth monitoring your diet to eliminate excess salt.
Currently, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommends the average individual should consume a limit of 2,300 milligrams per day. But the average person’s actual sodium consumption per day – 3,300 milligrams, according to the report. And that doesn’t include salt added at the table.
Since sodium acts a preservative it is found in many processed foods.
Breads, rolls, lunch meats and pizza are just some of the worst culprits contributing to excessive sodium in our daily diets.
The authors found that different blood pressure readings in the two arms were a sign of the narrowing or hardening of a person’s arteries, particularly on one side of the body.
Although seemingly minor, a difference of 15 millimeters of mercury or more between systolic readings in the two arms meant the risk of peripheral vascular disease was two and a half times greater and the risk of cerebrovascular disease was 1.6 times higher. It was also associated with a 70 percent greater risk of dying from heart disease. The precise number of the higher or lower systolic reading was less important than the extent of the difference between them. A difference of even 10 millimeters was enough to raise the risk of peripheral vascular disease.
You don’t always hear good news about potatoes when it comes to your health, however, purple potatoes are a different story according to Joe Vinson, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania.
On average, diastolic blood pressure — the bottom number in a blood pressure reading — dropped by a statistically significant 4.3 percent and systolic blood pressure — the top number in a blood pressure reading — dropped by 3.5 percent. While eating potatoes, most of the subjects — even those on anti-hypertensive medications — experienced lower blood pressure, and none of the subjects gained weight.
Baked and boiled potatoes are best while frying at high temperatures seems to destroy the health benefits of potatoes.
Check out this helpful guide on how to lower your blood pressure. It provides handy charts on appropriate blood pressure levels, including the danger levels for hypertension, and it offers useful tips to help handle this condition.
None of the advice will surprise you, but it’s helpful to have it laid out in a well organized and easy-to-read manner. If you or a loved one is dealing with a blood pressure problem, check this out. It’s in a PDF format so you can print it out as well.
Be careful before taking out huge loans to get a degree from a for-profit college. Make sure you're not getting suckered into for-profit college scams that leave you with no job and huge debt.
This blog is for consumers of health care and medical services. Basically, it’s for everyone. For health issues you should always see a doctor or qualified medical professional - we are not dispensing medical advice. You should, however, be an educated consumer, so we offer information to help you start the process to become educated and to ask important questions. There are many excellent resources on the web, along with all sorts of conflicting opinions and advice. The key is to use a wide variety of resources to learn and access information, so you can ask the important questions when you are with your doctor or health professional.
