Hypertension and Zinc Deficiency

Is there a correlation?

As High Blood Pressure (also known as Hypertension) continues to become an issue for the health of millions of Americans, so are the risks directly associated with this condition. Some of the most highly reported causes of death in the states, stroke and heart disease, can be prevented by simply understanding how to keep your blood pressure low and actively monitoring it. In the past few years, substantial research has brought to light a relationship between high blood pressure in an individual and zinc deficiency. In many cases of medical patients with conditions like diabetes and kidney diseases, they have been found to have high blood pressure, in addition to low levels of zinc.

How does Zinc affect your blood pressure?

The sodium-chloride symporter (NCC) is a cotransporter within your kidney, and one of its main responsibilities is extracting sodium from your bloodstream that would otherwise turn into excreted urine. Because excess or too little sodium leads to high blood pressure, an NCC that is not regulating sodium well can cause health problems in an individual. Zinc has the ability to affect a broad variety of proteins that help the NCC function, and many researchers believe that this is how Zinc indirectly influences sodium levels and blood pressure.

What can you do to actively watch your blood pressure?

In a recent research directly observing hypertension and zinc consumption together, mice with lower zinc diets developed hypertension, and when a portion of this group eventually received more zinc, their blood pressure reverted back to a healthy state. By applying this information to your personal dietary habit, you could have better control over your own blood pressure and health. One of the best ways to do this is to consume foods high in Zinc; examples like oysters, beef, and legumes have some of the highest milligrams of Zinc per serving. Though meat is one of the best sources of Zinc in a regular diet, these proteins are often the most heavily seasoned as well. Being watchful of sodium ingestion is also crucial to stabilizing blood pressure. Don’t underestimate the amount of change you can make for yourself with small life decisions and research, and remember that prevention is always better than finding a solution when it’s too late.

For more information on how to control your blood pressure and how High Blood Pressure can potentially lead to Kidney Disease, click here.