During pregnancy, a nutritious diet may reduce the risk of preeclampsia, which is the early stage of pregnancy-induced hypertension (high blood pressure). This condition causes concern for your physician because it can lead to eclampsia, the full-blown form of severe high blood pressure during pregnancy.
In some women, severe high blood pressure may develop after the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. Additional problems that may occur at the same time are proteinuria (protein lost through the kidneys), and edema, or swelling from water retention in the hands and feet. In the worst cases, eclampsia can cause fetal damage, or expecting mothers may experience convulsions and coma. Fortunately, this condition is rare, with preeclampsia and eclampsia affecting only 7 to 8% of pregnant women. Younger women, women experiencing their first pregnancy, and obese women are most at risk.
Researchers have been trying to find a diet that will reduce the risk of high blood pressure for pregnant women, but studies are still inconclusive. It has been suggested that a higher protein intake for the expecting mother may help, but this has not been proven. Also, a lower salt intake, which is effective among the general population for reducing hypertension, has not been shown to reduce the risk of eclampsia for pregnant women.
Fortunately, calcium and antioxidant supplements during pregnancy do show some promise in preventing these conditions among women at risk.
Calcium
One study included 48 women with a family history of preeclampsia who were experiencing their first pregnancies. Some of the women in the study received supplements containing 600 mg of calcium and 450 mg of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) during the 18th through 22nd weeks of pregnancy, and others received a placebo. The women who received the calcium and CLA supplements had a significant reduction in hypertension, and it is believed that these supplements may reduce the risk of pre- and full-blown eclampsia.
Antioxidants
Pregnancy is known to increase the need for antioxidants. When women lack antioxidants in their diet (vitamins C and E, zinc and selenium), the deficiency may worsen hypertension. Some women have low levels of these antioxidants due to poor eating habits, which is common among younger women and teens. Supplements of antioxidants may significantly reduce the risk of eclampsia, with vitamins C and E being considered the most important.
At this time it there is no fool-proof preventative measure to reduce the risk of pregnancy-induced high blood pressure, so good prenatal care is vital. Your doctor will monitor your blood pressure and do blood and urine tests. Be sure to ask your doctor which supplements she recommends for you. She may also recommend a good dietitian to make sure you eat right and maintain the most nutritious diet during your pregnancy.
Can you imagine a study being halted early because the results were so overwhelming that they wanted everyone to benefit right away? That's what happened with this blood pressure study.
The average blood pressure of the people in the study was 173/91 and they lived in 13 different countries at 195 hospitals. In total, 3,845 people took part in the study.
During the course of the study there was 64% drop in heart failure deaths. Death from cardiovascular events dropped 23%. Strokes went down by 30% and death from stroke went down by 39%. Because of these changes the overall mortality rate dropped by 21%. Over the four year study the average blood pressure was brought down to 150/61 from 173/91.
As we see from this study high blood pressure can lead to a host of dangerous and deadly outcomes. Maintaining a healthy blood pressure should be very high on your health "To Do" List.
Did you know there are many, many things you can do to maintain healthy blood pressure? Here are the most basic and are a great starting point to keeping your blood pressure where it should be:
* No more sitting around. Get moving! A sedentary lifestyle is one of the most dangerous practices to your health. Start taking long walks at a good pace. See your doctor and then start an exercise routine. Several times per week try to push yourself just a little harder. Before long you will start to feel great and your health will greatly improve.
* Smoking is a surefire way to raise your blood pressure. Over time the damage it causes to your cardiovascular system will add up. Every puff you take causes irreversible damage to your body.
* Increase your intake of raw health foods. Eat those fruits and vegetables several times per day. Make each meal include healthy items. Over the long run this will pay off and you will maintain your healthy blood pressure.
You know, there are so many things that can be done to keep yourself healthy. If you are the type of person who wants to live long and be healthy I recommend you give my book some consideration. Inside I have packed tons of good health information that is based on studies and concrete evidence that will increase your health and your lifespan.
Both Jonni Good & Daniel Lee are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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