A warning has been issued over breakfast foods that could be bad for people with high blood pressure. The condition is a serious problem in the UK, with around one in three adults thought to be living with it.

Also known as hypertension it means that your heart has to work harder to pump blood around the body. Over time, this puts extra strain on organs such as the heart and can lead to damage. It is also linked to many serious health issues such as heart disease, stroke and even dementia.

Luckily if you have high blood pressure, or are at risk of it, there are changes you can make to bring your levels down. One such way to do so is making tweaks to your diet.

Eating too much salt, for example, is known to be a major cause of hypertension. However, salt is not the only dietary contributor to high blood pressure.

For this reason, experts at Health Match revealed four popular breakfast foods you should avoid if you need to bring your blood pressure down.

Sweetened breakfast cereals

Breakfast cereals that appear “healthy” might not be the best way to start your day.

“Most cereal packages are deceiving,” Health Match said. “They claim to be healthy because they contain nutrients and whole grains, but this is not the entire truth.

“Most breakfast cereals are highly processed and contain added sugar. Studies show that a cup of cereal is equivalent to three chocolate chip cookies in terms of sugar concentration.”

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They added that high sugar levels inhibit nitric oxide production, which helps in the dilation of arteries, potentially contributing to increased blood pressure. “Sugar contributes to weight gain, which increases the chances of getting high blood pressure,” they added.

Muffins

While incredibly tasty, muffins contain unhealthy ingredients such as refined flour, sugar, and oils.

“Factory-made muffins have a high concentration of harmful components, making them a significant contributor to obesity,” Health Match said.

“The refined ingredients in muffins do not have any nutritional value. Due to high sugar concentration, the muffins are quickly digested by the body, which triggers an exacerbated increase in insulin levels.”

Bacon

One of the key components of a full English breakfast, bacon could send your blood pressure through the roof. Health Match warned: “Processed meats, like bacon and ham, are bad for your health if you have high blood pressure. Bacon contains a high concentration of sodium which raises blood pressure if eaten regularly.”

Four strips of bacon contain around 660mg of sodium, just under half the daily recommended limit of 1,500mg.

Waffles

Similar to muffins, waffles may be a tempting breakfast but they could do your body a lot more harm than good. Health Match added: “Waffles contain simple carbs, which makes them easy to digest. The refined ingredients in the flour contribute to obesity and high insulin levels.”

Obesity causes atherosclerosis, which narrows arterial walls, leading to hypertension. They said: “When fatty tissue is deposited on the walls of arteries, the heart has to work harder to pump blood to different parts of the body.”

To prevent high blood pressure, the NHS recommends you:

• Have a healthy, balanced diet
• Exercise regularly – aim to do at least 150 minutes of exercise a week
• Lose weight if you’re overweight
• Do not eat too much salt – avoid salty food or adding salt to your meals
• Do not drink too much alcohol – avoid drinking more than 14 alcohol units a week on a regular basis
• Do not drink too much caffeine – drinks high in caffeine include coffee, tea and cola
• Do not smoke

If you are concerned about your blood pressure you should speak to your GP.