Q: Is there a relationship between blood pressure and constipation. As I get constipation bowel pains my blood pressure spikes to. 180/190 over 95.
A: Pain from any source can cause an increase in blood pressure. Your pressure is spiking to a worrisome level. You should discuss this with your doctor. Adding more fiber to your diet should help prevent constipation. You might want to eat more prunes. For ideas on adding prunes to your diet go to the website CaliforniaDriedPlums.org.
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There are also pastas & breads on the market that have double fiber.They taste just add good or better.
Four things cause constipation and fixing each one tends to lower high blood pressure.
1. You have to avoid Milk of Magnesia but taking 800 mg a day of magnesium–either 400 mg twice a day or 200 mg four times a day tends to relieve constipation AND it lowers blood pressure a bit.
2. Look up the DASH II diet and go on it. Add some extra vegetables when you get used to it and drop omega 6 oils such as corn and soy and only use extra virgin olive oil. This diet is proven to lower high blood pressure. AND, the extra fiber in it tends to relieve constipation. It also helps prevent heart disease.
3. Get regular exercise most days of every week. Walking works for some people but shorter and vigorous interval cardio and strength training even for 10 or 15 minutes a day can help. As long as you build up slowly and take brief breaks if you need them, this tends to prevent heart disease. Better, every day you exercise your blood pressure is lower.
Best of all, doing this tends to prevent constipation too.
4. Drink extra water or tea or green tea. The extra water works with the magnesium and fiber to soften things up. That means less constipation.
For sure do so instead of drinking soft drinks. Dropping both regular and diet soft drinks will help you be less fat and have less heart disease. Being less fat lowers high blood pressure and you lower high blood pressure to prevent heart disease.
Metamucil will do a great job also. Use it (dosage) based upon results. I also find spikes in my BP whenever there is a sudden urge for a bowel movement or to urinate while my BP is being taken. There are significant differences in the readings before vs. after.
The same old-same old advice of “eat more fiber” can be very detrimental. Fiber, no matter how much water you drink with it, can form a bolus in the stomach or small intestine, and block up everything for folks who don’t have enough stomach acid or are on PPIs. As for salt, my BP came DOWN when I started consuming MORE unrefined salt. The DASH diet is much too high in fructose, which is not good for diabetics or people trying to lose weight. One size does NOT fit all.
Diet and exercise are the best defenses against Hypertension. Spiking BP is most likely due to arterial flexibility and is related to nitic oxide production. A diet rich in fruits vegetables and whole grains helps tremendously with this. I would not use oils of any kind, including olive oil. They damage the lining of the blood vessels. Also get plenty of exercise. Walking briskly for at least 30 minutes per days helps. Purchase a pedomenter and aim for 10,000 steps per day. Those two lifestyle chnages should be all that is need to keep BP in the normal range.
The best solution to constipation is a plant based diet. It is loaded with fiber and nutrients that definitely help to lower blood pressure.
I hardly ever had constipation. My diet is omnivorous, but included vegetables and fruits. I like specially tomatoes, broccolis, spinach and carrots. As fruits, my delight i a good, golden gracious banana, but I like peaches, apples,pears, grapes, pineapple, too. A good slice of meat, sirloin or so, is included, also poultry… I think it is very simple. I do regular exercise, about 1 hour a day.
I used to be regular as clockwork until being hosptialized where I was on a antiboitic course. I fought constipation for a couple of years after that. Recently I’ve been taking probiotics twice a day and am more regular than I’ve been for years
Constipation can be due to a multiplicity of issues ranging far beyond diet issues to obstructions caused from tumors. Do not become discouraged if the usual interventions don’t work….just persevere. The solution may not be as easy as adding fiber, more water and increased exercise.
I had serious constipation issues for over 50 years nearing total obstruction a couple of times. The culprit was never discovered by traditional medicine but by accident. I had tests done to determine food allergies and came up postive for gluten intolerance. When I eliminated gluten from my diet, constipation issues completely resolved…..after more than 50 years of suffering. Not one physician ever mentioned this as a possibility.
more FIBER is your answer and not the ‘unhealthy kind’………get into the habit of taking metamucil or physillium during the day. A lot of prescriptions will slow down your gastrointestinal tract to a screeing halt! Ask your pharmacist for suggestions & if any of your meds have the propensity to offend. 😉
Thanks for posting this . I’ve been looking for this info . Wonderful information I will be back for information about the ayurvedic diet.