No, we’re not talking about salt.
Nor are we discussing fats.
Alcohol? Nope again!
There is one other ingredient, one that consumption has sky-rocketed for the last 20 years. And it’s the main cause of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and even many types of cancer.
There was time when salt and fat was considered to be the biggest enemies of blood pressure. It turns out that sugar is even worse.
Particularly harmful is one type of sugar – fructose. Fructose can be found in almost all prepared foods in one way or another.
At the turn of the 20th century, only 5-10% of the population had high blood pressure. Now, approximately 31% of adults do. It turns out that this alarming increase is directly related to a change in diet – a diet that is becoming high in added sugars (especially in the form of high-fructose corn syrup).
What does fructose do?
It causes insulin levels to rise and keep it elevated as long as you keep pumping in fructose. This slowly leads to insulin resistance followed by type 2 diabetes, weight gain and high blood pressure.
Scary, isn’t it? Yes, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure seem to go hand in hand, and this is one of the main reasons why you should be careful about what you eat.
According to a study in 2010, people who consumed 74 grams or more of fructose in a day had a 77% higher risk of having high blood pressure. And an average American consumes about 70 grams of fructose every day. The recommended fructose consumption per day is less than 25 grams per day. Throw in one soda can and you’ll easily exceed your daily recommended limit.
In fact, consuming 24-ounces of a carbonated soft drink has been shown to increase blood pressure, on an average, by 15/9 mm Hg. Whoa, did you expect this?
In another study published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), researchers reported an interesting find. Compared to those who consumed less than 10% of calories from added sugars, those who consumed 10-24.9% had a 30% higher risk of death through heart disease. Anything more than 25%, had an almost threefold increased risk.
The way fructose causes a rise in blood pressure is complicated. It breaks down into many waste products, including uric acid. Uric acid has a nasty habit of inhibiting nitric oxide in blood vessels.
How is this bad for your blood pressure? Nitric oxide keeps the blood vessels relaxed and elastic, and its suppression can reverse the effect and cause blood pressure to shoot up.
Suprisingly meditation actually lowers your blood pressure, I used to have high blood pressure but it has returned to normal now.I suggest everybody learn how to meditate because ever since I have started I have never been happier. I have improved my life drastically. I have an overall sense of peace with myself and the world. My stress levels have gone to an all time low and It even helps me with my anxiety and panic attacks.
If you want to learn how to meditate I suggest you read this story.
http://anxiousreview.com/learnmeditation/
somethings wrong here…when i was kid, i was abandoned, neglected and left to starve on the hard streets of my city, i lived that way until 19, until i joined the military, but before that all i ate was bee hive corn syrup????????? today i dont have high blood pressure or diabetes and i am of indigenous descent? they thing with me was i was hyper and always active and always hungry…and skinny…is that the secret?
they now say meditation can actually be dangerous and should not be done with those with mental illness…for sure…
i like your advice sir. but what are the food that contain fructose that i have to avoid
In answer I don’t think that’s the answer I have skinny friends who have blood pressure.
They have had very stressful events in life ,so we need to be careful how we judge.
This article is totally misleading. In what form is fructose given. Are these people exercising or simply sedentary. Being sedentary makes no difference whether you are eating glucose of fructose. You still die very early.
Dr. Sincero
http://home.comcast.net/~sincero/StoppedMedications.htm
So Helpful thanks
Mike Bell, what is Bee Hive syrup? Siynds like it might be Honey as opposed high fructose corn syrup.. there is a huge difference between Honey and fructose
Must read
Very informative.