Lao Zhang was having lunch, and a colleague came over to chat with him: "Oh, Lao Zhang, why do you eat loofah every day?" I'm tired of watching you if you're not tired of eating. ”
Lao Zhang smiled: "I have high blood pressure, and I heard that loofah can lower blood pressure, but I don't want to take medicine, so I take it every day." ”
My colleague was surprised: "How is it possible, don't you need to take medicine for high blood pressure?" Is it okay for you to eat loofah? I'm afraid it won't work, so I suggest you ask your doctor. ”
Lao Zhang thought about it, so he still went to the hospital to ask the doctor.
After knowing the cause and effect, the doctor said solemnly: "How long have you stopped taking the medicine?" Have you been dizzy lately? ”
Lao Zhang said: "I feel that my body is very good, there is nothing wrong." Does loofah really have a blood pressure-lowering effect? ”
Is the loofah a blood pressure "killer"?
The doctor didn't speak, took out the instrument to measure blood pressure and began to measure, and after seeing that the value was barely safe, he sighed:
"Although your blood pressure is okay, you still have to listen to me first, and you still have to take blood pressure medicine, don't stop."
"High blood pressure can lead to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular damage, and you didn't tell me when you stopped taking the drug, how can I help you lower your blood pressure?"
Lao Zhang scratched his head and said slightly apologetically: "I just think it's annoying to take medicine, so I don't take it, I'm sorry, I won't stop taking medicine after that, I will listen to you." ”
The doctor sighed: "The loofah does have a certain effect of lowering blood pressure, because it contains a lot of water, and it also contains 115 mg of potassium per 100 grams, which can help the blood vessels maintain normal relaxation to a certain extent." ”
"And now that summer is here, blood pressure is usually a little bit higher. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is said that loofah can clear away heat and phlegm, cool blood and detoxify, and can be eaten in moderation to relieve heatstroke, but it is also necessary to eat less. ”
"In the "Benjing Fengyuan", it is said: 'The loofah is tender and slippery, and eats a lot of laxative people.' So, eat less as well to avoid diarrhea. ”
Lao Zhang listened and said, "Yes, I have written it down." ”
The doctor said, "If you want to stabilize your blood pressure, I also recommend that you eat less of these things, so as not to reduce the effect of drug treatment." ”
If you want to stabilize your blood pressure, you should eat less of these 3 things
The doctor said to him: "Medication is the main thing, diet therapy is secondary, and eating less foods that tend to raise blood pressure will also help blood pressure." ”
1. Eat less saturated fat foods
Dietary saturated fatty acids can increase blood lipids and serum cholesterol levels, and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease and stroke in hypertensive patients.
Therefore, patients with high blood pressure should pay attention to limiting the intake of dietary fat and cholesterol, including fried foods such as fried dough sticks and fried small dried fish, and animal offal such as pork liver and foie gras.
2. Eat less processed meat
Eat less processed red meat products such as bacon, sausages, and sausages, because the salt content in them is very high, which will affect the level of blood pressure, and the more salt content, the greater the impact.
Therefore, you should eat light food in your usual diet, don't eat too hard, put less salt, and soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken essence, and monosodium glutamate Y should also be put less, and the daily salt intake should not exceed 5 grams.
3. Eat less high-sugar fruits
Eat less fruits with high sugar content such as lychee, longan, pineapple, and jujube, which will raise blood sugar and indirectly affect the level of blood pressure.
There are also some high-sugar drinks such as cola, fruit juice, and milk tea, and it is recommended to use plain water and weak tea as daily drinks.
The doctor also said: "Usually eat more potassium-rich foods, such as spinach, kelp mushrooms can be eaten in moderation, which is conducive to protecting blood vessels, and drinking more water can promote the metabolism of waste products in the body." ”
"Eat more vegetables and fruits, low-sugar fruits such as bananas, apples, and grapefruits, as well as green vegetables such as oily lettuce, bok choy, and baby cabbage."
brief summary
The potassium in the loofah helps to maintain the normal relaxation of blood vessels, and has a certain effect of assisting in lowering blood pressure, but it cannot replace the treatment of hypertension with drugs.
To keep your blood pressure stable, you need to take your medication on time and reduce your diet with saturated fats, processed meats and high-sugar fruits.
You can also increase your intake of potassium-rich foods such as spinach, kelp and mushrooms, and drink plenty of water, all of which can help protect blood vessels and maintain stable blood pressure.
Resources
[1] "The National Health Commission issued the latest dietary guidelines to teach you to eat high blood pressure easily! 》. Bureau of Retired Cadres.2023-04-12.