1 Food to Cut Back to Prevent High Blood Pressure

Preventing or reversing hypertension (a.k.a. high blood pressure) may be easier than you think! — And may only involve having less of one popular food item.

According to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, red meat is loaded with cholesterol & saturated fat and is associated with high blood pressure & high blood cholesterol, which in turn increases one’s risk of heart and cardiovascular disease.

The study also found that while red meat is the most common food item in the world, eating just 4 ounces of red meat daily not only raises your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, but it also raises your overall risk of dying prematurely and dying from cancer.

This is because red meat is loaded with high levels of iron—which scientists believe promotes rapid cancer growth. The cooking of red meat also produces cancer-causing compounds and processed meats contain a variety of cancer-causing chemicals.

The Heart Connection

High blood pressure occurs when blood flow through the heart is too forceful. This results in damage to the arterial walls and forces the blood vessels and the heart to work harder to keep you alive. This can then lead to strokes, heart failure and other cardiovascular issues.

Since high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels are often linked, red meat’s high saturated fat and cholesterol content is certainly a source of concern to doctors.

But hey, you don't have to eliminate red meat entirely. Instead, try not to eat it every day and if you do—practice portion control.

Smaller portions of red meat has little effect on blood pressure, the researchers say. And when they say small, they mean it—their recommended serving size for red meat is the equivalent of 2 strips of bacon!

But it’s not just the meat itself that’s the problem—it’s also how you cook it!

Researcher Dr. Gang Liu notes that cooking meats at higher temperatures is also associated with high blood pressure. Dr. Liu says that even chargrilled fish or fried chicken contributes to high blood pressure so one must always try for a lighter cooking on proteins to avoid rendering harmful chemicals that raise blood pressure and also raise mortality and cancer risks.

Conclusion

According to Harvard University, heart disease is the cause of 1 in every 4 deaths in the United States. While it causes no symptoms, it raises the risks of serial killers like heart attack and stroke, as well as cognitive decline, brain aneurysms and kidney failure. Reducing red meat consumption is crucial for a healthy heart and for your well-being.

Healthy Habits Tip: According to the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, consuming Ceylon (Sri Lanka) cinnamon every day may be good for heart health—especially in people with hypertension. It was found that just by consuming half a teaspoon a day is enough to reduce one’s blood pressure levels without the use of statin drugs.

Read more about a revolutionary product that works great to support heart health!