High blood pressure: Drink this amount of water to maintain normal levels

The health benefits of drinking water regularly have been well established, but did you know you could regulate your blood pressure levels by staying hydrated? Experts believe the heart does a better job pumping blood to other parts of the body when you are well hydrated.

The silent killer

High blood pressure is notoriously nicknamed the ‘silent killer’ because it hardly shows any symptoms but has been responsible for 10.7 million deaths worldwide, according to a 2015 report by the Global Burden of Diseases.

It is estimated that 46% of adults with this condition are unaware of it. They may only receive a diagnosis when the disease leads to more devastating conditions like heart attacks, heart failure, stroke, and others.

The best way to prevent the condition is through adopting healthy lifestyle choices, such as reducing the amount of salt, managing your weight, cutting down on processed and junk food as well as alcohol, according to the UK government website.

There are a number of environmental risk factors that are driving the epidemic of cardiovascular disease. Health professionals and local authorities should raise awareness of these factors and encourage people to make healthy lifestyle changes.

Hydration and hypertension

Drinking lots of water regularly could be beneficial as well. A UK-based doctor and freelance writer Monika Wassermann recommends drinking eight glasses (240ml) every day for best results.

As a holistic nutritionist, I always advise my clients to take eight glasses of water daily and for a good reason. Water helps detoxify the blood (removing toxins and wastes), including excess sodium that heightens the risk of high blood pressure.

She adds that drinking cranberry juice could have similar effects due to high antioxidant levels which also help boost your immune system.

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