High blood pressure is a concern for many people in the developed parts of the world. Our cultures have led to diets that often cause big problems for our hearts and the arteries which serve them. We’ve talked about cardiovascular disease in another article, but high blood pressure is something a bit different. Still, resveratrol prevents high blood pressure and relieves it in many of the same ways it prevents and cures cardiovascular disease. Let’s take a look.
The problem with high blood pressure
Blood pressure indicates how much blood is passing through veins and arteries within a given amount of time. This movement always causes stress on arterial walls, but the higher the amount of blood moving through at once, the higher the stress will be.
More blood goes through narrower openings as the arteries form the plaques and are ruptured through the wear and tear fats and cholesterols bring to these elastic walls. In addition, blood platelets may accumulate (which so far researchers have not yet connected to diet although smoking and other lifestyle choices may be a factor) which block some of the open areas of the arterial pathways.
Both blockages and ruptures cause the openings in the arteries to become narrower. Ruptures cause scar tissue to form, which is what makes the openings narrower in that case. The direct result is an increase in blood pressure levels, as more blood is forced through smaller arteries and veins.
The end result of continuous high blood pressure is a condition known as hypertension. It’s just like it sounds; there is a lot of stress put on the walls of your arteries, and as they continue to deteriorate, they become even less able to hold up, wearing out quicker. Individuals with hypertension caused by high blood pressure run very high risks of stroke, arterial aneurysms, chronic renal failure, and heart attacks.
The Effects of Resveratrol
Resveratrol works to combat high blood pressure in the same ways it counteracts cardiovascular disease. Here’s a recap!
- Antioxidant effect. Resveratrol prevents the oxidization of blood vessels, which means they don’t become inflamed, swell, and block arteries.
- Breaking up platelet groups. By telling the body to produce less hormones which are known to cause platelet accumulation, resveratrol prevents this type of blockage from occurring in the veins and arteries which lead to and from the heart.
- Increases production of Nitric Oxide. Resveratrol has also been shown to work with other antioxidants both produced by the body and those gained through diet. Nitric oxide is found in the body through both methods. Resveratrol increases its production in the body and helps move it into the arteries, offering yet another way to reduce inflammation.
Summary
Resveratrol supplementation can greatly reduce blood pressure levels. It does through various means of relaxing the walls of the arteries by preventing inflammation and removing blockages. In turn, this reduction of pressure leads to a greatly decreased chance of stroke, aneurysm, and other major heart problems.
