How buckwheat affects blood pressure: raises or lowers

Arterial hypertension is one of the ten most common diseases. According to statistics, every fourth person on Earth suffers from high blood pressure. For such people, the question is how to quickly lower blood pressure at home, how to cure arterial hypertension and prevent the dangerous consequences of this disease for the body.

Experts advise adjusting blood pressure (BP) not only with medications, but also with lifestyle changes. The first thing to do is to adjust the diet. There is a list of products that nutritionists recommended for people with high blood pressure. Buckwheat is on this list.

How buckwheat affects pressure

Buckwheat is one of the products that have a beneficial effect on health in general, the functions and condition of individual organs and systems. Nature has generously endowed cereals with vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other substances valuable to humans, thanks to which the regular use of buckwheat porridge supports the vital systems of the body.

One of the most important effects of cereals is the normalization of blood pressure indicators., normalization of the functions of the heart and blood vessels. Buckwheat helps lower blood pressure. It has a diuretic effect - it removes sodium, chlorine, magnesium in proportion to the increase in urine volume, reduces the osmotic pressure of the intracellular fluid.

For reference. There is a lot of information that buckwheat raises blood pressure. This claim is unfounded. This may be an isolated case, and then, most likely, an increase in blood pressure is associated with the use of buckwheat in combination with other foods that normalize low blood pressure.

Mechanism of action

The principle of the effect of buckwheat on high blood pressure is associated with the diuretic properties of biologically active components.and. As mentioned above, they inhibit the reabsorption of water and salts in the kidney tubules, increase their excretion in the urine, and increase the rate of urine formation.

B vitamins, together with ascorbic acid, improve the condition of the vascular walls and capillaries, increase their density and elasticity, and reduce permeability. Buckwheat contains a lot of flavonoids, which have pronounced antioxidant properties, protect cells from damage by free radicals.

Buckwheat with hypertension valued for the presence of vitamin E in the composition. It strengthens the membranes of erythrocytes, supports the metabolism in the heart muscle, improves blood clotting, normalizes blood circulation processes, lowers glucose and bad cholesterol levels.

Eating buckwheat, you can not be afraid of potassium deficiency in the body... This macronutrient is responsible for muscle contraction and relaxation, which acts as a regulating factor in blood pressure. Its insufficient intake leads to a persistent increase in blood pressure, and the latter can cause heart failure, stroke, liver disease.

The danger of developing hypertension is associated with a limited intake of chromium and selenium. Buckwheat is to some extent able to fill the need for these micronutrients, which serves as a good prevention of cardiovascular pathologies, including arterial hypertension.

Another useful property of buckwheat, both for hypertensive patients and for absolutely healthy people, is a positive effect on the state of the immune system.The complex of vitamins and minerals increases the body's resistance to infections, reduces the risk of developing diseases, which is especially valuable in the presence of bad habits.

Lack of physical activity and excess weight is one of the risk factors for the development of hypertension. Buckwheat can be useful here too. Its obvious advantage is low calorie content... In the process of cooking, the calorie content of raw cereals is reduced by a third and after cooking it is only 101 kcal per 100 g. There is practically no fat in the grains, but they are rich in proteins and carbohydrates that the body needs for saturation.

Buckwheat porridge is nutritious, it allows you to get enough of one small portion, which eliminates the need for additional snacks, and does not accumulate fat. Most macronutrients are absorbed by the body for a long time, saturating the human body with energy, while carbohydrates are not converted into new fat stores.

Grains contain a lot of vegetable fiber, which cleanses the digestive tract well, removes excess fluid, toxins and toxins from the body, normalizes metabolism, and improves digestion. Also, fiber increases endurance and performance, stimulates physical activity, due to which more energy is consumed than it comes from food; the body loses fat reserves, body weight decreases.

Fact. Experts have proven that every 10 kg of excess weight increases the pressure by 10 mm. rt. Art.

Can I use for hypertension

Hypertensive patients are advised to definitely include cereals in their daily diet, since buckwheat lowers blood pressure. It is extremely important at high pressure to control the level of calcium, potassium, chlorine, selenium, magnesium, manganese, vitamins of group A, B, C and other components that ensure adequate heart function, have a beneficial effect on the state of large and small vessels.

Thus, systematically consuming buckwheat, you can maintain an acceptable level of blood pressure and prevent the development of possible complications. In addition, unlike medical preparations, the product acts very gently and practically does not cause negative reactions in the body.

Recipes with buckwheat for hypertension

The beneficial properties of buckwheat depend on various factors: varieties, grain quality, cooking method, combination with other products... Buckwheat is marketed in four forms: unground, chopped, Smolensk groats (small grain) and buckwheat flour. The most suitable unground in terms of usefulness for the body. This is a cereal made from whole, uncrushed grain, during the processing of which only the surface shell is removed, so all valuable substances remain in the composition.

Preference should be given to premium grains from trusted manufacturers. To be sure of the quality of the grain, choose buckwheat in transparent plastic packaging. It prevents dampness, allows you to visually assess the integrity of the grain and color, see debris and insects.

Council. When buying cereals, pay attention to its color. Quality product light brown or green Is a separate type of buckwheat. The darker the color of the cereal, the deeper heat treatment it was subjected to, which indicates a decrease in the content of nutrients.

Of great value for the body is not boiled buckwheat, but steamed at night with boiling water. In this form, it maximally preserves vitamins, micro- and macroelements useful for the body.

How to steam buckwheat:

1. Pre-sort a glass of cereals, clean from impurities, rinse until clear water.
2. Pour cereals into an airtight container with a lid or a thermos, pour 400 ml of boiling water. The volume of water can be adjusted according to the desired consistency. The less boiling water, the more crumbly porridge is obtained.
3. Close the pot or thermos tightly.If you are using a saucepan, wrap it with a warm blanket on top, and leave the grains to reach condition overnight.

Another important point is the food combination. It is necessary to correctly combine buckwheat with other products so as not to provoke fermentation in the intestines, a feeling of heaviness, bloating and other unpleasant symptoms from the digestive system.

Buckwheat goes well with kefir:

1. Rinse 200 g of buckwheat until clear water.
2. Pour the groats with 400 ml of kefir at room temperature. Insist warm, covered overnight.
3. Optionally add 1 tbsp to the finished porridge. l. honey or dried fruits.

The next recipe is vegetarian buckwheat soup.

Ingredients:

• vegetable broth - 2 l;
• kernel groats - 100 g;
• onion - 1 pc .;
• medium-sized carrots - 1 pc .;
• chicken egg - 1 pc .;
• potatoes - 400 g;
• vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. l .;
• salt to taste;
• garden herbs: parsley, dill.

Preparation:

1. Sort the groats, rinse thoroughly.
2. Grate the carrots, chop the onion thinly into half rings, and the potatoes into small cubes.
3. Add onions, carrots, cereals to the boiling broth. After 5-10 minutes add potatoes. Cook over low heat until vegetables are tender.
4. 5 minutes before ready, pour in a raw chicken egg, stirring constantly. Add vegetable oil and salt to taste.
5. Cover the dish with finely chopped herbs, boil again.

The second can be served buckwheat cutlets.

Products:

• buckwheat - 200 g;
• chicken or turkey fillet - 0.5 kg;
• chicken egg - 2 pcs.;
• onions - 1 pc .;
• mushrooms - 200 g;
• oat flour - 50 g;
• salt to taste;
• greenery.

How to cook buckwheat cutlets:

1. Pre-steam the kernel in boiling water for 4 hours or boil.
2. Poultry fillet cut into pieces, onion, mushrooms, pour the prepared porridge into the blender bowl, beat until smooth.
3. Add salt, eggs, oat flour to the minced meat, mix well.
4. Form cutlets from minced meat, fry them in a non-stick frying pan without adding oil or bake them in the oven. Serve with skimmed sour cream or sugarless yogurt.

Harm and contraindications

Despite all the beneficial properties of cereals, prolonged and excessive consumption of buckwheat in food threatens with a decrease in the concentration of sodium and chlorine ions in the blood. Low concentration of chlorine in the blood is manifested by nausea, vomiting, weakness, muscle pain and cramps, thirst, dry mouth, and mood changes.

With a deficiency of sodium in the blood, there is rapid fatigue, convulsions, increased excitability, confusion. With individual intolerance to buckwheat, allergic manifestations are possible: rash, itching, redness and peeling of the skin.

The consumption of buckwheat in excessive quantities requires control over the indicators of the state of water and electrolyte balance. At risk are patients with:

• pathologies of the cardiovascular system in the acute stage;
• violations in the liver;
• diseases of the urinary system of a severe course;
• slowed down metabolism;
• diabetes mellitus.

It is necessary to completely exclude buckwheat from the diet if you are allergic to the product, to limit its consumption - with low blood pressure.

Opinions of doctors

Hypertension is a serious medical condition... With its prolonged course, chronic damage to blood vessels, liver, kidneys, heart, and organs of vision develops. It is impossible to completely cure the disease, but it is possible to prevent further development and reduce the frequency of crises. One of these methods is nutritional correction.

You can avoid an increase in blood pressure when taking special products, containing dietary fiber, polyunsaturated fatty acids and vegetable protein. All these and other substances valuable for the human body are in buckwheat.

Cardiologists advise including buckwheat in the daily menu as a good means of prevention pressure increase. But this does not mean that the high pressure problem has been solved.To achieve a stable remission, it is not enough just to constantly eat buckwheat.

An integrated approach is needed, the use of medicines, and products that lower blood pressure, including buckwheat, are only part of the treatment.

Conclusion

Buckwheat is not only incredibly useful, but also has medicinal properties. Eating it regularly can reduce high blood pressure readings. Groats are rich in antioxidants that relax the cells inside the blood vessels and the heart and protect against free radical damage. Thanks to this effect, the vessels become stronger and more elastic, which leads to a decrease in blood pressure.