No longer the heart of the matter?
It has become commonplace to think of the heart as the center of everything in your body.
Not anymore, it seems!
Move over heart, and make way for the brain—which researchers are saying is now the responsible party for causing hypertension. And all along we’ve blamed the cause on the heart itself!
A study was done by British researchers pointing to a protein in the brain as being the culprit. That protein, JAM-1, evidently traps white blood cells. This leads to inflammation, which then blocks blood flow, and the end result is a reduced oxygen supply to the brain. That inflammation process also affects your heart.
Hypertension can lead to even more serious damage, such as strokes, heart attacks and kidney damage.
So now, doctors will be working to treat blood flow within the brain—making sure it will have an adequate supply of oxygen-rich blood. Conventional treatment for reducing high blood pressure typically involves losing weight, cutting back on the sodium, and getting regular exercise.
Now, you can attack high blood pressure by fighting inflammation. If you suffer from high blood pressure, I would recommend the absolute best anti-inflammation diet around: A Mediterranean-style plan. It has been emphasized as a heart-healthy diet, as well as capable of keeping inflammation in check. The Mediterranean diet puts its emphasis on fresh, including fruits, vegetables, fish, legumes and whole grains.
