The 20-minute lunchtime secret to lowering your blood pressure!

by FSP Health team, 08 May 2013

Do you sit at your desk during lunchtime, gobbling down a sandwich as you frantically try get through your to do list? You shouldn't. This just stresses you out more and raises your blood pressure. And while there are already many health benefits to getting a bit of exercise in your lunch break, research has found that sunlight also helps lower blood pressure. So don't stress. Spend just 20 minutes outside in the sun and you'll soon be less stressed - mentally and physically!

You already know that the sun’s a top source of vitamin D, which is essential for your body’s functioning.

Now, researchers at the University of Edinburgh have found that exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun also lowered the blood pressure of volunteers, says The Telegraph.

This works because the UV rays in sunlight cause nitrogen or nitric oxide stored in the body to be released into the blood stream.

And this, in turn, relaxes the blood vessels and lowers your blood pressure.

This is what you want, as lower blood pressure reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes, says ScienceWorldReport.

"We suspect that the benefits to heart health of sunlight will outweigh the risk of skin cancer,” adds Dr Richard Weller, Senior Lecturer in Dermatology at the University of Edinburgh on The Telegraph.

Here’s why you should sit in the sun for just 20 minutes a day, during your lunch break…

But remember that excessive exposure to UV light is still one of the top causes of skin cancer.

That’s why you should limit your sun exposure to 20 minutes a day.

Because if you “Go inside, or into the shade, when you start to turn pink, or after 20 minutes... you'll be just fine,” says FSP Health.

But don’t worry that your amount of sun exposure’s set to take a dip as winter approaches.

Another way to lower your blood pressure during your lunch break

Because you can also lower elevated blood pressure with tomato sauce!

It’s true – just 88ml of tomato sauce a day can help lower mildly elevated blood pressure, says FSP Health.

So all you need to do is add some tomato sauce to your lunch and you’ll protect yourself against stress and heart disease by lowering your blood pressure… no matter the weather forecast.

Tags: sun, sunshine, blood pressure, tomato sauce, stress

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