High Blood Pressure & Hypertension

• High blood pressure, or hypertension, can lead to numerous health problems including (http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/WhyBloodPressureMatters/Why-Blood-Pressure-Matters_UCM_002051_Article.jsp#.V_4xc5MrKb8 ):
• Heart damage: heart attacks, heart disease
• Stroke
• Kidney damage
• Vision loss
• Erectile dysfunction
• Memory loss

To reduce high blood pressure, it is critical to eat nutrient-dense foods and fewer nutrient-poor ones. The nutrients allow for repair of all blood vessels and of proper heart function to occur. Eating nutrient-dense foods promotes weight loss, which will result in lowering of blood pressure. If you use your daily allotment of calories on a few high-calorie foods and beverages, then you probably wouldn’t get the nutrients your body needs to be healthy. Limit foods and beverages high in calories but low in nutrients. Also, limit the intake of salt, sugar and saturated and trans fats, while increasing the amount of omega-3s.  

Certain foods are good to control hypertension. For example, whey protein lowers blood pressure (http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2016/10/25/ajcn.116.137919.abstract  ). Whey protein and casein are the two major components of milk, but casein does not lower blood pressure. However, both proteins – whey and casein – improve blood flow and lower cholesterol levels, further contributing to heart health.

The Nutrient Shake is ideal for someone with hypertension, or who is worried about developing high blood pressure. It is nutrient-dense in only 240 calories and has no added sugar or trans fats, and is low in saturated fat (2.5 grams; 13% of daily allotment). The Health Shake has only 5% of the daily allotment of sodium (130 mg) (http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/Nutrition/The-American-Heart-Associations-Diet-and-Lifestyle-Recommendations_UCM_305855_Article.jsp#.V_FRSpMrKb8 ).

The Nutrient Shake contains whey protein that lowers blood pressure, and whole milk powder, which contains both whey protein and casein, and supports heart health.