There is one form of pollution in which most of us engage during both winter and summer. We draw a considerable amount of enjoyment from these activities.

Unfortunately, there is some new research that shows that it may increase our blood pressure. But do it a little differently, and your blood pressure will actually drop.

By now we know that black carbon from the burning of biomass and fossil fuels causes respiratory diseases, but research on the many other negative health effects it can have is still thin.

To investigate the effects of black carbon on blood pressure, researchers went to rural China where most women still cook on open wood fires or in poorly maintained, poorly insulated coal stoves.

They ranked their 280 study participants according to the amount of black carbon to which they are exposed through their cooking methods, as well as by the distance they lived from the nearest busy road.

This study design yielded two interesting findings.

First, and least surprisingly, those exposed to the highest levels of black carbon through their cooking methods were more likely to have higher blood pressure than those who were exposed to very little. With every one microgram of black carbon per cubic meter air (µg/m3), their blood pressure rose by 4.3 mmHg.

Second, those who lived close to busy roads experienced three times the increase in blood pressure as their peers who were exposed to the same amount through their cooking methods, but who lived far from busy roads. In other words, the traffic compounded the effects of the cooking methods.

Third, distance from the highway alone had no effect on blood pressure. In other words, those unexposed to black carbon by their cooking methods did not suffer a blood pressure rise if they lived close to the highway.

If you think this is irrelevant to you because Westerners in developed countries do not cook on open fires or in poorly insulated wood or coal stoves, think again. Wood stoves and wood fireplaces are becoming increasingly popular because of the smoke-flavored food and the coziness they provide. They are also very common in rural areas and during the summer when urbanites pull out their barbecues.

So how much should you worry about blood pressure if you cook with wood?

If you have a properly maintained, insulated, and chimneyed wood stove and you remain indoors, you obviously have no concerns. This was proven when scientists tested the blood pressure of Guatemalan people after replacing their old wood stoves with properly insulated ones.

Another relevant study printed in the journal Evolutionary Psychology, demonstrated that hearth and campfires actually decreased arterial blood pressure, probably because of their calming and hypnotic effects.

Our relaxing blood pressure exercises have also been proven repeatedly to drop blood pressure below 120/80 – often the very first day. Learn more and try them out here…