5 most common high blood pressure questions answered - Part 1

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When you're under stress and you feel your heart pounding, well, that actually might be an increase in your blood pressure.

So we know intuitively, yes, stress does lead to high blood pressure. And it's really important that we manage our stress

to prevent it from developing.

Breathing exercises, meditation, yoga-- all of these things can help prevent the increase in blood pressure

and can help manage our stress. And you know what? It's really important that we manage our stress

because we have to prevent high blood pressure.

Do you have a family history of high blood pressure? Please go to your doctor because this is one of those things that we see in families.

And oftentimes, I see young women in my office with a strong family history of high blood pressure.

And they, too, have it and would never have known it unless they got it checked.

And all you have to do is stick out your arm and get your blood pressure checked. And that's how you'll know.

Salt is something that our bodies need. We need it to actually keep our blood pressure up. We need it for it to keep our cells healthy.

One of the crazy things about salt is it becomes it becomes addictive, and we like to have more and more salt. Salt makes everything taste better.

And that's where the danger lies in processed foods, particularly processed foods where there's a lot of added salt

or, if you go to a restaurant and eat out, there tends to be a lot of added salt. So what does salt do? Well, one thing-- it's actually bad for your blood pressure.

It causes hypertension, makes it harder for your heart, your blood vessels, and also your kidneys. So there's a warning for cardiovascular disease

for salt. But now there's a new warning for salt, excess salt. And that is it's associated with a risk of stomach cancer.

So how does that actually happen? Well, salt is kind of like road salt during the winter-- scrapes away, wears away that protective lining

in your stomach, the mucous membranes that help protect the cells of the stomach, delicate cells of the stomach. That's like salt in the road creating potholes.

And when you've got a pothole in your stomach, it makes it a lot easier for inflammatory substances, bacteria, and other carcinogens that we might eat.

So for example, the carcinogens from a barbecue or from processed foods or preservatives--

all those wind up just seeping into your cells and causing those cells damage. And so cut down your salt actually will not only

help your blood vessels, your blood pressure, but also reduce your risk of stomach cancer. [AUDIO LOGO]