April 13, 2022

A Family Health Physician, Dr. Tolu Oladapo, says eating healthy diet can help to lower high blood pressure commonly known as hypertension.

She told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Wednesday that “hypertension is increasingly becoming common in Nigeria and in most cases, the patients are not aware.”

Blood pressure is the force that a person’s blood exerts against the walls of the blood vessels. High blood pressure can lead to severe health complications and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and sometimes death.

Oladapo said that a diet high in sodium, salt, and cholesterol can cause hypertension, adding that “sodium is a mineral that regulates fluid balance. When you consume more sodium than your body needs, it tries to flush it out, drawing more water into your blood.”

She described high blood pressure as a chronic health problem that generally occurs without causing symptoms.

She added that “most people who have high blood pressure do not have symptoms and it often develops slowly. This is why it is called a silent killer.

“It is important to have your blood pressure checked regularly and eat a healthy, balanced diet.

“Although diet changes alone may not completely reverse your high blood pressure, it can lower it and reduce the risk of developing complications.

“Diet should contain vegetables, fish and egg, while meat products and alcohol reduced.” (NAN)