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Hypertension and hypotension are two faces of the same problem: an unbalanced blood pressure. They appear for different reasons, and require different treatments and kinds of food to alleviate them. This is because especially in the case of hypertension, diet is the cornerstone of the best therapy for controlling the disease.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, as it is commonly known, affects a large percentage of the population, many of whom don�t know they have it because there are no outward symptoms. Only regular checks will detect it. Hypertension is said to exist when the arterial pressure figures are above 14 for the systolic pressure maximum and 9 for the diastolic minimum. In these cases, before prescribing medicine doctors tend to recommend a change of diet. The main feature is a lower intake of salt or none at all. In Spain people consume an average of 12 grams of salt per day. The World Health Organization recommends just 2 grams a day.

Sodium raises blood pressure by acting on arterial walls, making the passages narrower and thus hindering the flow of blood. It increases risk of vascular problems significantly. To reduce consumption of salt it is not enough to just remove the salt shaker from the dinner table and season foods carefully. Pre-cooked foods, sausages and canned goods have lots of salt, so it is important to minimize your intake of them. To offset the loss of flavor, you can use harmless spices and aromatic herbs. Pepper, rosemary, oregano, bay leaf and thyme help liven up bland foods.

The diet of a hypertension patient tends to include lots of fruits and vegetables since these lower levels of homocysteine, an amino acid associated with the disease. Vitamin B complexes are also recommended because they, too, lower levels of that substance. Some studies say that after three months of following a diet rich in vegetables and low in meat, a person�s blood pressure can drop by as much as 10%.

Other healthy foods are blue-meat fish because of their Omega-3 acid content, and those rich in calcium and magnesium. So it is important to boost your intake of dairy products, although these should be low-fat. Foods rich in fat raise levels of LDL cholesterol, and this combined with hypertension can be fatal. Regular exercise, moderate consumption of alcohol and quitting smoking are other measures that help reduce your blood pressure.

Hypotension occurs when then systolic maximum is below 8. It tends to be caused by anemia and excessive blood loss. The biggest risk is that the pressure might drop to levels not compatible with life, although this is rare except in cases of severe problems or hemorrhaging.

Unlike hypertension, hypotension does have symptoms, the main ones being tiredness, dizziness and pale skin. This is because the blood does not have enough pressure to reach and transport oxygen to all parts of the body. Although the foods declared off-limits for hypertension sufferers are permitted for those with hypotension, we don�t recommend a large intake of salt because over the long term this will lead to more problems than benefits. The same applies to alcohol. Therefore the best strategy is to follow a balanced diet, with occasional intake of nuts, olives and cold cuts. If the hypotension is caused by hemorrhaging, such as during menstruation, it is a good idea to eat foods rich in iron and folic acid, like leafy green vegetables.

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