Health news

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects around 1.4 billion people worldwide and is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. While diet is just one part of maintaining healthy blood pressure, certain foods have been linked with better cardiovascular health, and a small daily snack could be good news for your heart. Eating a handful of nuts each day has been linked with a lower risk of developing high blood pressure, according to new research involving more than 143,000 people.

According to a recent study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, eating a handful of nuts each day may help lower your risk of developing high blood pressure by 20%. The research, published last month, analysed eight prospective studies and found that each additional 28g serving of nuts consumed per day was associated with a 20% lower risk of developing hypertension.

The researchers found that consuming around 30g of nuts a day was associated with a 26% lower risk of developing high blood pressure compared with eating no nuts.

In the abstract, the study states: “In this meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies, we found further evidence for a reduced risk of hypertension with higher intake of nuts. These findings support dietary guideline recommendations to include a serving of nuts per day.”

Choose unsalted and non roasted options. According to Heart UK, some good choices include walnuts, almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, macadamias, pistachios, pecans, hazelnuts, or peanuts.

At Tesco, a 25g packet of Mixed Nuts & Pecans costs 80p, while Aldi‘s 200g Mixed Nuts works out at £1.75 and ASDA‘s 200g Nut Mix is priced at £1.98. At Superdrug, a 35g pack of mixed nuts cost just 70p.

Nuts contain a combination of nutrients that may help support cardiovascular health, including unsaturated fats, fibre, minerals and plant compounds. However, the researchers stressed that the analysis was based on observational studies, which means it identified an association rather than establishing cause and effect.

According to the latest figures, around 16 million people in the UK are estimated to have high blood pressure but almost five million of them don’t know they have it. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, can lead to serious problems like heart attacks or strokes. There are usually no symptoms, so you may not realise you have it.

The only way to find out if you have high blood pressure is to get your blood pressure checked. Things that increase your chances of having high blood pressure include age, having an unhealthy diet and particularly one that is high in salt, being overweight, drinking too much alcohol, smoking, and having close relatives with high blood pressure. Being under stress for a long period of time can also contribute to raised blood pressure. Lifestyle changes and blood pressure medicines can help you stay healthy.

The findings add to growing evidence that nuts can form part of a healthy diet, but they should not be viewed as a treatment for hypertension. Keeping salt intake under control, eating a balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables, staying physically active and maintaining a healthy weight are all important for blood pressure.

A dentist has revealed five everyday foods that could leave people with a chipped or cracked tooth and warned that some damage may not be immediately visible.

While healthy teeth are strong enough to withstand normal chewing, biting down unexpectedly on something very hard can cause damage. Teeth with large fillings, decay or existing cracks may be particularly vulnerable.

Dr Deepa Chopra, dentist at Whites Dental, said: “A cracked tooth does not always happen because someone has poor dental health. Sometimes, it is simply the result of biting down at the wrong angle on something much harder than expected.

“The damage can range from a small chip to a deeper fracture affecting the inside of the tooth. Even if there is no immediate pain, it is important to have the tooth checked before the crack becomes worse.”

Here are five foods that could place teeth at greater risk.

Chewing leftover ice may seem harmless, but its hardness can place considerable pressure on the teeth. Dr Chopra said: “Ice is one of the most common things people chew without thinking about the potential damage.

“Both the ice and the tooth are extremely hard, so something has to give when enough pressure is applied. People with fillings, crowns or already weakened teeth may be particularly at risk.

The unpopped kernels left at the bottom of a popcorn bag can be easy to bite accidentally. “The problem with popcorn kernels is that people are expecting something light and soft,” Dr Chopra explained. “When they suddenly bite down on a hard kernel with the same force, it can crack a tooth or damage an existing filling.”

Hard sweets are often kept in the mouth until they dissolve, but biting or crunching them can put excessive force through a tooth. Dr Chopra said: “The temptation is often to bite down once the sweet becomes smaller. However, hard sweets can still be strong enough to chip enamel, fracture a weakened tooth or loosen dental work.”

Olive stones, cherry stones and fruit pits can cause damage when someone bites into them unexpectedly. “Hidden stones are particularly risky because you do not have time to adjust how hard you are biting,” Dr Chopra said. “Even foods advertised as pitted can occasionally contain fragments, so it is worth chewing carefully.”

Small pieces of bone can sometimes remain in chicken, ribs, fish or other meat dishes, creating another unexpected hard surface. Dr Chopra said: “A tiny piece of bone can easily be missed, especially when it is covered by sauce or mixed into a dish. Biting down forcefully could chip a tooth, crack a filling or damage a crown.”

Signs of a cracked tooth can include pain when biting, sensitivity to hot or cold foods, a rough or sharp edge, or discomfort that comes and goes. Dr Chopra said: “Stop chewing on the affected side and rinse your mouth gently. If a piece of the tooth has broken away, place it in milk or saliva and take it with you, as a dentist may sometimes be able to reattach it.

“Do not try to repair the tooth using household glue or continue testing it by biting down. Contact a dentist, even if the pain settles, because cracks cannot heal themselves and may worsen without treatment.”