Eating Yogurt Twice a Week Minimizes the Risk of Complications in Hypertensive Women

Yogurt has a myriad of health benefits for the body besides launching bowel movements. Especially for women with hypertension, getting at least two servings of yogurt a week can help prevent complications of hypertension in the heart. How can?

Yogurt lowers blood pressure

High blood pressure or hypertension occurs when blood pressure is higher than 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mmHG). Hypertension that is not managed properly has the potential to cause complications in the heart, kidneys, and various other vital organs of the body.

Well, quoting from WebMD, a study shows that adults who are accustomed to eating yogurt around 2-3 servings per day have decreased blood pressure by up to 50% compared to people who have never eaten yogurt at all.

Another study also reported similar things. In addition to helping to reduce blood pressure, regularly eating two servings of yogurt every week minimizes the risk or even helps prevent hypertension complications related to cardiovascular disease.

The benefits of yogurt comes from the potassium content, which can get rid of excess sodium from the body. Sodium is a mineral that has a role in increasing blood pressure. Sodium is found in foods that are high in salt.

The reduced risk of complications from heart disease can actually be felt by both men and women who are accustomed to eating yogurt every week. However, the effect is specifically seen more differently in women.

Yogurt prevents hypertensive complications in women

According to research by the American Journal of Hypertension published by Oxford University Press, both men and women who routinely eat yogurt at least two servings of yogurt per week have a reduced risk of stroke or coronary heart disease by up to 20 percent lower.

Interestingly, the same research shows that the reduced risk of heart attack as a complication of hypertension is much lower in women who are diligent in eating yogurt than men. The risk of heart attack is reported to be 30% lower for women, while in men it is only around 19 percent.

In addition, the routine of eating yogurt weekly is also associated with a reduced risk of having to undergo blood vessel surgery such as heart bypass or angioplasty, up to 16 percent for women who have hypertension.

This study looked at about 55 thousand women and 18 thousand men with high blood pressure after putting aside other factors that might affect changes in blood pressure. For example age, race, family history, physical activity, and diet.

Yogurt stabilizes blood pressure in non-hypertensive women

Other studies have also found an association of how yogurt can minimize or even completely prevent the risk of hypertension complications related to heart problems in women.

The results of the study showed that healthy women (in the sense of not being at risk or having a history of hypertension) whose daily diet most suited the DASH dietary pattern and also consuming five or more servings of yogurt a week had a 31 percent lower risk of developing high blood pressure. This compared to women who did not follow the DASH diet and only ate one serving of yogurt per week or even less.

The DASH diet is a diet to reduce the intake of sodium (salt), fat, and cholesterol. Instead, this diet makes you increase your intake of protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals from vegetables and fruits as well as whole grains and nuts

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