” Better to have it low than high,” my doctor once told me. Although, given the unpleasant symptoms, low blood pressure does not fill our days with energy!

Let’s take a step back: blood pressure – or the force that the blood pumped by the heart exerts against the walls of the arteries – in adults, to be considered normal, must be below 120/80 mmHg.

So we talk about low blood pressure or rather hypotension when the pressure is below 90/60 mmHg .

So what to do in the presence of low blood pressure symptoms? How to intervene with food?

Low blood pressure symptoms

The human body has specialized receptors to monitor even slight changes in blood pressure : special cells in the arteries are able to warn if the pressure increases or decreases and can cause the body to restore it to normal.

For example, if you move too quickly from lying down to standing, the pressure can drop abruptly, the cells feel the decrease and are immediately activated so that blood continues to flow to the brain, kidneys and other major organs. If, on the other hand, the body is unable to restore the correct blood pressure values, a permanent state of hypotension, or low blood pressure, can develop .

Some patients have low blood pressure all the time, do not experience any symptoms and it is normal for them. For others, the lowering of blood pressure is abrupt and can be caused by certain different factors or diseases. 

In these cases, the typical symptoms of low blood pressure are:

> Feeling of non-stability with vertigo or dizziness;
> blurred vision;
> fainting;
> palpitations,
> nausea;
> general sense of confusion;
> problems with concentration;
> weakness, fatigue and a sense of mental confusion.

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In the case of orthostatic hypotension , the symptoms occur a few seconds or minutes after standing up from a sitting or lying position; you may feel on the verge of fainting or you may really faint. Another form of orthostatic hypotension, called postprandial hypotension , is the sharp drop in blood pressure after meals.

It mainly affects the elderly or those suffering from hypertension or central nervous system disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease. After a meal, in fact, the intestine draws a large amount of blood for digestion and if the heart rate does not increase enough to maintain the pressure, this can decrease and cause symptoms.

Symptoms of orthostatic hypotension include :

> Dizziness or vertigo, nausea;
> blurred vision;
> confusion, weakness.

In this case the symptoms disappear if you sit or lie down for a few minutes, thus allowing the pressure to return to normal.

Low pressure: intervene with the power supply

Episodes of low blood pressure are a frequent ailment, especially in the summer season when the days are hot and when, paradoxically, the foods that can help alleviate the disorder are more available.

Let ‘s find out what are the suitable foods , which allow the contribution of some mineral salts (potassium and magnesium) with a fundamental role in the regulation of pressure mechanisms:

>  Salt , due to its high sodium content.
> Bananas and dried apricots, due to their high potassium content.
> Whole grains and dried fruit especially almonds, due to their high magnesium content. > Coffee , since it favors the activity of the heart (it has a vasodilating action), increases the amplitude and frequency of breathing. > Green tea and dark chocolate , thanks to the presence of epicatechins, which regulate the flexibility of blood vessels. > L i quirice

: increases blood pressure thanks to the active ingredients it contains (glycyrrhizin).

Tips for proper nutrition in case of low blood pressure:

> Have light meals;
> in case of heat, drink plenty of water, keep the amount of mineral salts high in the diet, stay cool and wash or pack with cold water for a vasoconstriction effect;
> eat balanced meals with a low glycemic load. In fact, in addition to the heat, low blood pressure can be caused by a glycemic drop, that is, a rapid lowering of blood sugars.