If you have high blood pressure, the sooner something is done about it the better off you will be. A few different studies completed in the past five years suggest that one way to battle high blood pressure is by consuming brown rice. Understanding problems high blood pressure can lead to as well as getting a yearly checkup can help avoid high blood pressure problems.
Causes of High Blood Pressure
In over 90 percent of patients there is no way to pinpoint the exact cause of high blood pressure. In these instances high blood pressure is most likely determined by genetic traits. In the other 10 percent of people with high blood pressure their diet and level of stress play a combined role in causing the disorder. A diet that is high in salt and low in potassium can eventually lead to high blood pressure and so can an environment that is highly stressful.
Brown Rice May Lower Your Blood Pressure
According to a 2010 study at Temple University, consumption of the outer hull of brown rice lowers blood pressure. It lowers blood pressure by combating a protein called angiotensin II, one of the leading components traced to hypertension. The study is a long way from reaching a definitive cure to high blood pressure, but there is enough evidence to say that brown rice will lower the blood pressure of some people who eat it regularly.
Brown Rice Bran Animal Study
Studies carried out by researchers at Tohoku University showed that rice bran was able to lower the blood pressure of rats that were suffering from severe high blood pressure. With the natural inclusion of rice bran into the rats diets the researchers were able to reduce the animals' blood pressures by as much as 20 percent. Research has also shown that brown rice is able to lower levels of the "bad" LDL cholesterol in both rats and humans alike.
Dangers of High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure poses a number of deadly risks. It's known as "the silent killer" because the disease can wreak havoc internally for years without causing symptoms. The two most common results of prolonged high blood pressure include strokes and heart attacks. The best way to avoid any of these symptoms is to have your blood pressure checked on a yearly basis so that you can catch it before it has time to do any serious damage.
