Nutrition

Posted: September 9th, 2013

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Nutrition

Essentially hypertension is caused by sedentary lifestyles, which have become common in the modern societies. The sedentary lifestyles come into play when an individual consumes a lot of unhealthy food. These are unprocessed by the body because of their complex constitution leading to them being stored within the body. Increased body weight from the increased storage of these harmful foods in the body results, in the desperate need, by the body to increase its oxygen and nutrient supply to all the body tissues, given the increase in the size of the body. Hence, an increase in the body size due to sedentary lifestyles results in increase pressure on body organs to pump blood thus exerting undue pressure on the blood vessels (Weir, 21).

In addition, inactivity due to the sedentary lifestyle could also cause hypertension in that, the large body size results in increased heart rates thus resulting in undue pressure on the blood vessels. Overworking also results in hypertension. This is because the undue pressure results in work related stress on an individual. Stress induces a higher heart rate thus putting pressure on the body. In addition, consumption of alcohol and smoking is also a cause of hypertension. These activities result in a higher heart rate because the chemicals found in these substances enhance hyperactivity, thus a higher heart rate and eventually hypertension.

Essentially over consumption of any substance is the main cause of unwanted diseases and specifically hypertension. Moderate consumption of all types of foods and nutrients is essential because it gives the body the required amount of nutrients for effective and efficient execution of bodily functions. Nutrients such as sodium, which is found in salt, should be consumed moderately, as too much or too little is bad for the body. Consumption of foods with natural fats, which can be easily broken down by the body, is essential since it ensures the body gets the appropriate fats. Other foods usually have what is considered as hydrogenated fats, which cause obesity (Widmaier, 33).

Exercise is essential for burning the excessive fats that clog the various tissues around the heart resulting to increased heart rates. Hence, the reduction in fats enables blood to flow with ease through the arteries and veins in the body. In addition, the need for healthy consumption of foods is essential for the body since the tissues gain adequate nutrients for effective performance of the various bodily functions. Exercise essentially reduces the blood pressure. Additionally this helps the heart to maintain a healthy beating rate thus reducing the level of hypertension in the body. It also enables to widen the arterial walls for smooth circulation of blood at normal blood pressure.

Water presence is essential for the body because majority of the body mass is made up of water. Water, as a solvent, enables vital nutrients to be dissolved for the eventual assimilation into the body and use by the various body tissues. In addition, water is essentially a vital means of transport of all the body nutrients and other substances such as waste from the body for eventual excretion by the organs. Therefore, water acts as a cleaning agent for the body by enabling removal of harmful toxins. Furthermore, water acts as a means of regulation of the body temperatures and levels of acidity and basicity from reaching unhealthy levels. Secretion of sweat during hot periods plays a significant role in cooling the body. In addition, during the cold temperatures blood that constitutes water, is distributed throughout the body to keep the body warm.

The body is unable to store water because majority of the water taken in is lost into the environment or excreted by the body together with waste and toxins. The body loses a lot of water through evaporation and perspiration into the atmosphere resulting in the need to consume more water to sustain this loss. Water cannot be stored because it mixes up with the blood. This is due to its role in the body as a medium for transport of nutrients and waste in and out of the body. Hence, the inability by the body to store water necessitates the need to consume water to compensate for the lost amounts through various means, such as evaporation and excretion. In addition, given the large surface area of the skin, a lot of water is lost without a person’s knowledge.

Dehydration of the body could occur due to numerous reasons. Essentially dehydration could be severe if it affects the blood levels whose large percentage is made up of water. Dehydration could be caused by individual lifestyles such as over consumption of alcohol and excessive smoking. Smoking reduces the amount of water in the body because of the drying effect of the heat. This requires the individual to consume more water, failure to which, results in dehydration.

Smoking tends to evaporate the water and moisture found on the skin thus resulting to dry skins and eventual dehydration of the body. Excessive consumption of alcohol is also a major cause of dehydration. Alcohol consumed requires a lot of water to be excreted by the body organs. Hence, inadequate levels of water in the body to excrete the alcohol results to dehydration as majority of the water is used up in removal of the alcohol and other toxins (Widmaier, 33)..

Another cause of dehydration could be due to ailments such as diabetes and others such as burns. Diabetes is considered a terminal ailment caused by unsustainable levels of natural sugars in the body resulting to excessive loss of water. This ailment requires constant urination and secretion of water. Ailments results in imbalances in terms of the body functions, thus excessive loss of water could be experienced through means, such as sweating and frequent urination to remove the toxins from the body.

Work Cited

Weir, Matthew R. Hypertension. Philadelphia: American College of Physicians, 2005. Print.

Widmaier, Eric P, Hershel Raff, Kevin T. Strang, & Arthur J. Vander. Vander’s Human Physiology: The Mechanisms of Body Function. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2008. Print.