Raising Blood Sugar And Insulin Levels
Consuming excess sugar has been shown to increase blood sugar and insulin levels. When your insulin levels increase, your sympathetic nervous system is activated . When this happens, your heart rate increases and your blood vessels constrict. This raises your blood pressure .
Increased blood sugar levels can make your body more insulin resistant. In addition to diabetes, insulin resistance is linked to high blood pressure .
Can Sugar Cause High Blood Pressure
To the common man sugar is blood sugar and blood pressure is high blood pressure. Sugar causing high blood pressure is a concept one cannot even dream of. For ages now salt has been blamed for raising blood pressure. Doctors have advised people suffering from high blood pressure to reduce salt consumption. Since the sodium present in the salt was held responsible in raising blood pressure low sodium varieties of salt were being sold in the market. Recent research has however pointed out that blaming salt for raising blood pressure is not evidence based. It is sugar which in fact is more responsible for raising blood pressure. So before understanding how the mechanism works let us understand the basics of high blood pressure.
Can Claritin Cause High Blood Pressure
Hello. This is Heart Health Tuesdays! Today, well talk about claritin and high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a silent killer. It sneaks up on you and can cause permanent damage before you even know you have it. You have a higher risk of developing kidney failure, heart failure, heart attack and stroke without even knowing that you had a problem to begin with.
People who have high blood pressure, and even those who dont, should be asking the question can Claritin cause high blood pressure? Most people who have problems with their blood pressure have been advised by the physicians to be careful about the over the counter medications or other medications that may be prescribed for them by other doctors. This is because medications arent always safe when taken together.
Drug interactions are chemical reactions that happen in your body when you take two different types of drugs that interact with each other inside your body. This chemical reaction can cause mild side effects or serious and life threatening side effects depending upon the type of medications taken.
The decongestant medication is pseudoephedrine which produces a narrowing or constricting of the blood vessels. This constriction will help your nasal congestion to clear since the extra cells arent able to leave the vessels. However this constriction will also cause an increase in blood pressure.
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Sugar Increases The Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease
A diet high in added sugars increases your risk of dying from heart disease. A large study of added sugar and heart disease was conducted. People who consumed 25% or more of their daily calories as sugar, were 2 times as likely to die from heart disease than people who consumed less than 10%.
The odds of people dying from heart disease rose together with the amount of sugar consumed in the diet.
The researchers also took a look at people who consumed high amounts of sugar but also received the proper number of nutrients in their diet. They concluded people who ate more sugar regardless of the other factors, still had higher cardiovascular mortality .
What Is The Recommended Blood Pressure Range For People With Diabetes
Its important to keep your blood pressure within a healthy range. This reduces your chances of your body developing further health complications.
Blood pressure should be below 140/80mmHg for people with diabetes or below 130/80mmHg if you have kidney or eye disease or any condition that affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain. But it is important to speak to your healthcare team about your individual target.
Whilst you may not have any symptoms of high blood pressure, it can be harmful to your health if left untreated. This is due to the increased pressure placed on your heart, eyes, kidneys and other organs.
As weve said previously, heart attack or stroke are some of the conditions your body becomes more vulnerable to with high blood pressure. Other conditions you become more at risk of include:
- Cardiovascular dementia
- Heart failure
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Medication For High Blood Pressure
Making changes to your lifestyle may not be enough and many people with diabetes also need to take medication.
The most common types of blood pressure medicines are diuretics, ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, antiotensin-2 receptor blockers and, calcium channel blockers. Ask your healthcare team if want more info on these.
Your healthcare team may give you medication even if your blood pressure isnt high and is in the target range. This is normal but you can ask your healthcare team to explain why. Its usually because the medication itself can help protect you against diabetes complications they especially protect your kidneys.
Weight Gain And Obesity
There are many ways added sugars can cause weight gain and obesity :
- It replaces nutritional superior food.
- Sugar can decrease your appetite for healthy food.
- Added sugar depletes nutrients in your body.
- Added sugars provide zero nutrition.
- Sugar decreases nutrient absorption.
Obesity has been a growing concern for many reasons including cardiovascular risk and an increase in people dying at an earlier age for cardiovascular disease. Just like obesity, high blood pressure is a major concern and the 2 have been linked together.
Studies have shown the rise in people with high blood pressure is in conjunction with an increase in obesity .
A blog post I wrote recently, 25 Foods To Avoid With High Blood Pressure, has many foods high in sugar. The other foods listed raise blood pressure for other reasons. You might want to click the post link and read it after this.
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Does Sugar Raise Blood Pressure It Depends Where It Comes From Researchers Say
by Jim Oldfield, University of Toronto
Combined data from over two dozen nutrition studies show that while sugar-sweetened drinks are linked to elevated blood pressure, healthier foods that contain some sugars do not share the same relationshipand in fact may have a protective association when it comes to high blood pressure, according to University of Toronto researchers.
Sugar-sweetened beverages were linked with a 10 percent increase in blood pressure in the review, which pooled results from more than 900,000 participants in the other studies. Fruit, small amounts of 100 percent fruit juice, and dairy and whole grains with moderate amounts of added sugar all showed some protective associations with hypertension, the researchers found.
The findings were published this week in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
“The food source matters,” says John Sievenpiper, an associate professor in the department of nutritional science in U of T’s Faculty of Medicine and principal investigator on the study.
“Many dietary guidelines for sugar are based on evidence that sugar-sweetened beverages are harmful, but we shouldn’t necessarily extrapolate that to whole fruit, or low-fat yogurt or a whole-grain cereal that contains sugars.”
The results should provide some relief to consumers and patients concerned about high blood pressure, and who may count teaspoons of sugars in the many foods they eat over the course of a day, Sievenpiper adds.
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More information:
Carbs And Water Weight
As part of my nutrition practice I teach a 12 week group weight loss class. Each week we discuss a different underlying cause of weight gain with steps to correct it. Class members learn to address their digestive issues. They learn to identify hidden food sensitivities. They learn how to correct fatty acid deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, brain chemistry deficiencies and many others.
However, the most important underlying issue is addressed in week 1. This is the ultimate foundation. Everything is predicated on this. And that is carbohydrate restriction. More specifically, refined carbohydrate restriction . Class members learn right from the start that it is not how much they eat but what they eat that is most important.
In week 1 we discuss the science of carbs. We differentiate between good carbs and bad carbs and the different effects they have on our blood sugar levels. We see how too many bad/refined carbs result in too much sugar in the blood which is dangerous and how the body then converts and stores sugar as fat as a defense mechanism.
We take a historical look at the evolution of the American diet in the 20th century and see the clear influence of industry with the rise of refined carbohydrates. We see a clear connection to this trend and the rise of chronic diseases in industrialized countries.
Yeah yeah yeah, so what does this have to do with salt?! you ask.
The same can happen when we consume salt.
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What Other Medications Can Accidentally Cause Low Blood Pressure
There are a variety of other medications that can unintentionally cause your blood pressure to drop, including cardiovascular drugs, diuretics, and beta blockers that are used to treat high blood pressure. Drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction can also result in low blood pressure, as can certain antidepressants, as well as medications prescribed for Parkinsons disease.
Avoid Packaged Foods And Soft Drinks
A good rule of thumb for avoiding added sugar is to avoid all packaged or processed foods. Packaged foods are manufactured and filled with added sugar to improve the taste. Packaged foods to avoid include cookies, crackers, cakes, cereals, and many granola bars and snack food items.
Plus, by avoiding packaged foods in general, youll also be avoiding other harmful ingredients like trans fats, saturated fats, excess salt, and preservatives that contribute to inflammation, metabolic syndrome, and fatty liver disease.
Soft drinks and other sweetened drinks are a major contributing factor when it comes to sugar consumption. Its easy to down a can of soda in just a few minutes, which could contain 40 grams of sugar or more. Soft drinks arent the only problem, however. Fruit juice, sports drinks, sweet tea, and sweetened coffee drinks all contain massive amounts of sugar that contribute to metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure.
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Blood Pressure And Anthropometric Measurements
Participants were asked to sit quietly in a room for 5 minutes before BP was measured. A trained researcher measured the participants arm to determine proper cuff size. Participants were asked to remain silent during BP readings. Two readings were taken on a digital BP monitor , and the average of the two was recorded. Mean arterial pressure was derived from systolic and diastolic BP. MAP is defined as the average of arterial pressure during a single cardiac cycle and is calculated as follows: Diastolic BP + 1/3 pulse pressure, where the pulse pressure is the difference between the systolic and diastolic BP. Participants were asked to change into scrubs and to take off their shoes for the anthropometric measurements. Weight was measured using a digital scale and recorded in both pounds and kilograms. Height was measured in centimeters, using a stadiometer. Participants were asked to stand with their feet and back against the wall. Body mass index was calculated by dividing the weight in kilograms by the height in meters squared.
Processed Foods With Trans Or Saturated Fat
To keep the heart healthy, its best to reduce saturated fats and avoid trans fats. This is especially true for people with high blood pressure.
Trans fats are artificial fats that increase packaged foods shelf life and stability.
However, eating them LDL cholesterol levels and lowers HDL cholesterol levels, which can increase the risk of hypertension.
Saturated fats the levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood.
Trans fats are especially harmful for your health and are poor heart health, including an increased risk of:
- heart disease
- stroke
- type 2 diabetes
Packaged, pre-prepared foods often contain trans fats and saturated fats, alongside high amounts of sugar, sodium, and low fiber carbohydrates.
Saturated fats are mostly found in animal products, including:
- full fat milk and cream
- butter
, full fat dairy doesnt raise blood pressure.
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Whats The Outlook For People With High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is common. In most people, its not a cause for concern.
If you have high blood pressure, your doctor can treat it with medication or lifestyle changes.
Many people with high blood pressure dont need treatment. In fact, some people with high blood pressure have no symptoms.
If you have high blood pressure on an ongoing basis, your doctor can create a treatment plan for you.
The earlier you treat high blood pressure, the better. The more you control it, the less likely it is to cause health problems.
Talk with your doctor if you have high blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, you can lower your risk of complications by treating it and making small changes to your lifestyle.
Prevents Energy Slumps :
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How Can I Lower My Blood Pressure
If you have high blood pressure, there are several lifestyle changes you can make to help lower it.
These include:
- Reducing your sodium and potassium intake
- Avoiding or reducing the amount of salt in your food
- Reducing your alcohol intake
- Avoiding or reducing your caffeine intake
- Reducing stress
If you smoke, quitting may help reduce your blood pressure and heart rate, too.
What About The Studies
You would be surprised just how many studies exist that shows no connection to salt and hypertension. So forget the studies. Study it in yourself. If you have hypertension, reduce your salt intake for two weeks and do nothing else . See if that brings down your blood pressure significantly. If not, eliminate all sugar intake in the form of refined sugar and refined carbs for two weeks. See what happens.
Please note there are some medical conditions that are can be exacerbated by increased salt intake such as kidney failure and congestive heart failure. Consult your doctor if you have a serious medical condition.
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Sugar Contributes To Risk Factors For High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure, or hypertension, means that the blood in our blood vessels is exerting excessive force on arterial walls. Blood pressure is measured by two numbers, the first being systolic pressure, which describes the pressure as the heart contracts to circulate blood throughout the body. The second measurement, diastolic pressure, describes the pressure in blood vessels between heartbeats. In general, the systolic pressure measurement tends to be higher than the diastolic pressure measurement.
High blood pressure is associated with metabolic syndrome and heart disease. Added sugar is a well-known culprit in causing a host of metabolic conditions including obesity, insulin resistance, and fatty liver disease.
People With Diabetes And High Blood Pressure Are More At Risk Of Having A Heart Attack Or Stroke So Its Important To Know How To Look After Your Blood Pressure
If you have diabetes, you need your blood pressure checked by a healthcare professional at least once a year. This check is part of your annual review.
If your blood pressure is high , youll need treatment to bring it down. This is because it puts a strain on your blood vessels and can damage them. This can make it harder for blood to flow around the body and reach all the vital areas it needs to, like your heart. And youre more at risk of having a heart attack or stroke. It also puts you more at risk of developing all types of diabetes complications, like serious problems with your feet, your eyes and your kidneys.
Theres lots to help manage your blood pressure because your lifestyle has a direct impact. But lots of people also need to take medication to treat high blood pressure and reduce the risk complications.
Its really important to know that you might have high blood pressure and feel fine, because there arent usually any symptoms. But even if you feel healthy, high blood pressure is damaging your blood vessels and you need to get treatment. Thats why you should never miss a blood pressure check its a free test and takes two minutes.
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How Does Sugar Raise Blood Pressure
For years salt has been the white substance people have been blaming for high blood pressure. But what about sugar? Sugar has been hiding in the sodium shadow and taking a back seat for blood pressure problems.
Does sugar raise blood pressure? Excessive sugar intake from foods with added sugars can raise blood pressure directly and indirectly. Studies have shown a direct link with consuming added sugars and high blood pressure. In addition, excessive sugar can cause health problems linked to high blood pressure.
Studies have shown eating foods that contain natural sugars are healthy. Its the added sugars that is the culprit. This blog post will inform you several different ways that excess sugar can raise your blood pressure.
BP Tip: You can lower BP naturally by changing how you breathe. Theres a device approved by the FDA and The American Heart Association. It guides your breathing a few minutes a day which has been proven to lower BP. You can check it out in the manufacturers website by .