Hypertension & Dietary Fats

Trans fats and saturated fats are easy to identify. They are solid in room temperature and become liquid when heated. They have a much higher tendency to sink inside our blood vessels than other fats.

Any deposit on the artery walls will narrow it and prevent free blood flow.

It is very much like the freeway when one of the lanes is closed. The traffic, then is much denser and heavier. When this happens inside a blood vessel, the body must exert a higher force to maintain flow through that narrowed space. The pressure of the blood flow against the artery rises. That is what we call an elevated blood pressure.

A high dietary fat content increases the body’s insulin resistance. That means that insulin function properly, and sugar cannot enter the cells. More and more sugar then keeps circulating in the blood. The more sugar and fats in the blood the thicker the blood becomes. Thicker blood is harder to pumps and more force is exerted, again, resulting in hypertension.

Saturated fats are found mainly in animal products, industrialized pastries, and baked goods. They are also found in fried food, ice cream, coconut oil, and palm oil.

Trans fats, also called trans fatty acids or partially hydrogenated fats, are found in a long list of industrialized items. Amongst them are morning cereals, baked products, frozen dough and pastries, popcorn, and margarine.