Take Control of Your Blood Pressure by Cutting Out Fructose
The blood pressure problem. For the people who suffer from this health issue, maintaining normal blood pressures becomes especially difficult as we age. The struggle is real. There are a multitude of levers within our control to lower and maintain our normal blood pressure.
One factor is salt intake. For years, I have told patients to eat less salt, but despite patients adhering to low-salt diets, I would still see patients present with dangerously high blood pressure.
It has come to light that there is an additional dietary consumable that has a more profound impact on your body's salt regulation, potentially leading to life-threatening high blood pressure.
No one wants to take three different medications just to maintain normal blood pressures. But left unchecked, uncontrolled pressure can lead to strokes, kidney disease and heart attacks.
People with high blood pressure are at least twice as likely to have a heart attack. Hypertension increases the risk of stroke by four times and it is one of the leading causes of kidney failure.
So what could cause your high blood pressures despite low to no salt intake? It could be your processed sugar intake, specifically the sugar fructose. The kind found in processed foods and not natural food like fruit.
The hidden culprit: Fructose
Fructose is a type of sugar found in many processed foods and sweetened beverages. Unlike other sugars, fructose can significantly affect your blood pressure.
Increased Uric acid
The liver processes fructose sugar in a way that unnaturally increases uric acid production. The bio compound uric acid disrupts artery cell function by decreasing nitric oxide levels. Nitric oxide is crucial for the dilation of our vessels, thus reducing blood pressure.
Insulin resistance
Insulin resistance causes hormonal changes that prompt the kidneys to retain salt. Salt retention causes water retention. The retention of water and salt in the body can cause a substantially increased circulating volume, ultimately leading to elevated blood pressure.
Activating the flight or fight response: The sympathetic nervous system
Various mechanisms are at work here, but once you trigger the system, it results in heightened heart rate, narrowed blood vessels, and raised blood pressure.
Some studies suggest that fructose can directly affect the brain regions involved in regulating the SNS. The hypothalamus, a brain region that controls many autonomic functions, may respond to high levels of fructose by increasing SNS activity.
Shokuiku is the Japanese concept of food education, emphasizing the importance of understanding what you eat and making informed dietary choices.
- Mindful Eating: Pay attention to what you're eating, savor each bite, and avoid distractions like TV or smartphones during meals.
- Food Knowledge: Learn about the nutritional content of foods and the impact of different ingredients on your health.
An unusual story comes to mind when I think about these Japanese lifestyle habits. An Indian doctor employed a unique method to reduce the blood pressure of his patients. It’s called the mirror technique. It was his practice to have his patients sit in front of a mirror while they were eating their meals. He believed that watching themselves eat would make them more self-conscious about their eating habits. His hope was for them to eat less and make healthier choices. It was surprising, but it was effective for most of the patients.
Action steps
1. Practice Shokuiku
2. Eat less processed fructose
3. Read food labels
4. Monitor your blood pressure
5. See your doctor and find out what is causing your high blood pressure
I have been advising patients for years to reduce their salt intake in order to control their blood pressure. If I could travel back in time, I would advise everyone to be mindful of their consumption of processed sugar. We aspire to sustain an ideal standard of living. This shows the absence of any kidney, heart, or brain disorders. It is possible to control high blood pressure without relying on medications. Controlling what we consume is one of the simplest habits to manage. Stay healthy, stay active and keep moving.