Let’s start blood pressure care easily with vinegar drink !

1 in 5 women in their 50s have high blood pressure

How conscious are you about your blood pressure in your daily life? In fact, women in their 50s are at greater risk of developing high blood pressure.

13.8% of women in their 40s have hypertension, which is less than one-third that of men (31.7%). However, in the 50s, it increased to 19.8%, and one in five people has high blood pressure. In addition, the number of women with “high blood pressure” increased significantly from 10.7% in their 40s to 17.2% in their 50s (from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare “National Health and Nutrition Survey 2017”).

Why? We asked Mr. Yoshihiro Imazu, the director of Shiba Daimon Imazu Clinic.

“Estrogen, a type of female hormone, has the effect of widening blood vessels, but its secretion drops sharply after menopause. Blood must be pumped under pressure, which is why post-menopausal women are prone to high blood pressure.

Also, when estrogen secretion decreases, the brain responds by saying, “Increase estrogen! I will do my best to keep sending out the signal. It is thought that the recoil causes the autonomic nervous system to be neglected, making blood pressure more likely to become erratic .”

Even if you have high blood pressure, there are no subjective symptoms. But high blood pressure can also cause other illnesses or make them worse, says Imazu.

“High blood pressure makes your blood vessels more susceptible to damage, leading to arteriosclerosis. It also impairs the function of your kidneys. When you add high blood pressure, the damage to your blood vessels accumulates even more, greatly increasing your risk of stroke and heart attack.”

What can I do now to control high blood pressure?

Any woman can have high blood pressure during menopause. Let’s be conscious of the following lifestyle before reaching menopause. Of course, it is also recommended for those who are in menopause and those who have passed menopause.

● Limit your salt intake to less than 7.0g per day (*1)
● Don’t drink too much alcohol ●
Quit smoking
● Exercise moderately
● If your BMI is over 24.9, try to lose weight (*2)
● Eat more vegetables
● Get good quality sleep

*1 From Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare “Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese (2015 edition)”. Target amount of salt for women aged 10 and over.
*2 BMI = weight (kg) ÷ height (m) squared. For women aged 50-69.

Using vinegar to control blood pressure

Vinegar has been found to be effective in controlling blood pressure for people with high blood pressure or mild hypertension.

In one study (*), people with high blood pressure or mild hypertension who drank drinks containing apple cider vinegar, brown rice vinegar, or tomato vinegar (each containing 750 mg of acetic acid per 100 g) on ​​a daily basis found that 6-6 It has been reported that blood pressure improved in about 10 weeks .
In addition, there is data that after drinking a drink containing honey vinegar (vinegar made by fermenting honey), the body warms up and the blood flow improves .

“The mechanism of why vinegar improves blood pressure and improves blood flow is not yet clear. Unlike medicine, there are no side effects to worry about, so it would be a good idea to incorporate it into your daily diet and check changes in blood pressure.” (Mr. Imazu)

* Osami Kajimoto et al . Antihypertensive effect on high blood pressure and mild hypertension” (2003) Health and Nutritional Food Research Vol.6 No.1 P51-68, Tetsuya Sado et al. Investigation of efficacy and safety when ingested” (2006) Jpn Pharmacol Ther (Pharmacology and Therapeutics) vol.34 no.6 P723-735

Tasty high blood pressure countermeasures with umami vinegar

Mr. Imazu also pays attention to the fact that vinegar is a fermented food. Generally, vinegar is made by fermenting foods containing carbohydrates such as rice, fruits, and honey. Just like miso, soy sauce, sake, natto, and amazake, vinegar is a traditional fermented food that has been passed down in Japan since ancient times.

“By harnessing the power of bacteria and yeast, fermented foods add flavors and nutrients not found in the original ingredients. Vinegar also contains various minerals and amino acids along with the acetic acid produced by fermentation. Therefore, it can be said that taking such ingredients is also effective for health.” (Mr. Imazu)

It seems that there is a “Vermont health method” advocated by Dr. DC Jarvis of the United States as one of the health methods using vinegar. Dr. Jarvis, who has been researching why Vermont has such a high life expectancy, attributed it to the apple cider vinegar and honey made from locally grown apples. This is the reason why Vermont became famous as “When you think of apples and honey, you think of Vermont!”.

Let’s take vinegar easily every day with a drink!

Fruit vinegar such as apple cider vinegar and honey vinegar are recommended for daily consumption. It has the aroma of the ingredients and a faint sweetness, making it perfect for drinking as a drink. However, it is better to dilute it with water, carbonated water, or juice, as it is too sour to drink as it is. Adding honey makes it even tastier.

You can make your own fruit vinegar by pickling fruits in vinegar, but if you think it’s a little troublesome and you can’t make it every day, why not try a store-bought vinegar drink? There are various types of vinegar drinks available on the market, such as those that are sweetened and diluted with just water, and those that add fruit juice or yoghurt. There are also FOSHU (Foods for Specified Health Uses) and Foods with Function Claims for people with high blood pressure.

It would be fun to find your favorite vinegar drink from among various types. Do you want to incorporate vinegar habits to be free from blood pressure worries?