High blood pressure, or high blood pressure, is a stepping stone to serious health problems such as heart attacks and strokes. It can be part of your diet, but certain types of meat that the British love may raise your high blood pressure readings instead.
From beef to pork, red meat is rich in protein, vitamins and minerals and can form part of a balanced diet, according to the NHS.
Eating this type of meat may delight in the iron and protein supply, but how it’s cooked is important.
Sadly, British staples such as sausage, bacon and ham can pose a high blood pressure risk.
According to Blood Pressure UK, these three staples are “particularly high in salt” and should “try to be avoided”.
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A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that processed red meat raised blood pressure by 17%.
The study surveyed 44,616 disease-free French women who were asked to complete a dietary questionnaire.
They found that people who ate processed red meat five or more times a week were 17% more likely to have high blood pressure. One serving was classified as 50 grams.
To make matters worse, a study published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition found that eating just 50 grams of processed meat each day could increase your risk.
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The reason British staples such as sausage, ham and bacon increase readings comes down to their salt content.
Considered the ‘biggest’ cause of high blood pressure, the trickiness of salt comes from retaining water, explains Blood Pressure UK.
Common seasonings cause your body to retain water, which draws extra water into your blood and puts extra pressure on your arteries. This is the perfect storm for high blood pressure.
Additionally, salt can exacerbate this problem if your high blood pressure levels are already in the red zone.
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Luckily, cutting back on popular ingredients is one of the easiest ways to lower blood pressure, the charity advises.
“When [it] It starts to make a difference very quickly, even within a few weeks,” says Blood Pressure UK.
The NHS says you should not consume more than 6 grams of salt per day. This equates to 2.4 grams of sodium.
To monitor your salt intake, the charity recommends looking at food labels in grocery stores and avoiding foods that contain more than 1.5 grams of salt per 100 grams of food.
Victoria Taylor, senior nutritionist at the British Heart Foundation adds:
“Think about the whole diet and get the balance right.
“Mediterranean diets are associated with a lower risk of heart disease, contain only small amounts of red and processed meats, and emphasize plant proteins such as lentils, nuts, seeds, fish, fruits, Rich in vegetables and whole grains.
Current government recommendations are to limit your intake of red and processed meat to 70 grams or less per day.
