Polluted air caused by heavy car traffic increases the
risk
for hypertension or high blood pressure
Introduction
Hypertension has been linked to many factors such as
lack of exercise, obesity or smoking, but now, according to a study conducted
by Doctors Robert D. Brooke and Robert Bard at the University of Michigan,
pollution has to be added to the above risk factors.
The research
The study found out that being exposed for two hours to
the environmental pollution in cities, it can increase the risk for
hypertension and as a result, for cardiovascular disease. Although this factor
may not have serious consequences in healthy people, it can be a different
story for people who suffer hypertension. Hypertension is a condition where the
heart has to make an extra effort in order to pump blood to all our body cells;
pollution can cause the heart to work even harder, triggering a heart attack or
a stroke.
83 volunteers participated in the study, published by
the reputable magazine Hypertension. The participants were asked to breathe
polluted air for two hours in city areas where car traffic was heavy. The blood
vessels of the participants were examined before and after breathing the
polluted air. It was observed that the pollution increased diastolic blood
pressure (the lower reading) which did not returned to normal for 24 hours.
The study indicated that the increase in blood
pressure is not due to the ozone effect or other gases, but to the microscopic
particles found in the air.
This study makes it clear that it is imperative to
limit the sources of pollution such as the ones coming from car traffic,
industries, etc. It is also imperative to ask people who suffer from
hypertension, heart and lung disease or diabetes, to get information about the
levels of environmental pollution (concentration of micro-particles) before
leaving home to carry out any type of outside activity.
How can you fight the effects of pollution on
hypertension?
The best counter-offensive to the effects of city
pollution is to move to the country side, of course, but if this option is not
available to you, then your next best option is a diet high in fresh fruits and
fruit juices prepared at home. A juicer is one of the best investments you can
make on your health. Fresh juices prepared at home contain many of the vitamins
and enzymes your body needs to combat the devastating effects of pollution. Remember
to stay away from juices at the market; they have lost most of their vitamins
through the process of pasteurization and they contain a lot of sugar as well
as preservatives.
Best fruits to control hypertension and heart
disease
Scientific studies have associated the Mediterranean diet with a
healthy blood pressure or hypertension. To learn the ins-and-outs of the Authentic Mediterranean
Diet and the Mediterranean Cuisine, check out my book;
I wrote it explicitly to help you apply these Mediterranean principles
into your life and those of your loved ones.
Wishing you a great day and especially, a healthy one.
