Do Carbohydrates Raise Blood Pressure?

What you eat can be very influential on the health of your cardiovascular system. The heart and circulatory system are often exposed to the sugars, sodium and other products brought into your body through the food you eat. A poor diet can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol and a host of other serious problems. Carbohydrates aren't a threat to your blood pressure -- in fact, they can help lower blood pressure -- but in excessive amounts even this can be unhealthy.

Developing High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure can result from many different factors. One of the most influential factors is nutrition. Foods that are high in sodium are very likely to increase your blood pressure if you routinely consume excessive amounts of the mineral. Exercise and your genetic predisposition can also influence your blood pressure levels to a very great degree, but a poor diet high in sodium shouldn't be discounted. Although high blood pressure can develop at any age, it is more likely later in life.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are energy-possessing nutrients that are processed as sugar in the bloodstream. Sugar levels influence your energy level, which is why carbohydrates are encouraged in people who feel sluggish in the morning or are exercising for long periods of time -- any type of carbohydrate will give your system a jolt of energy. However, carbohydrates are not regarded as one of these contributing factors to high blood pressure.

Benefit to High Blood Pressure

According to the Cleveland Clinic, many foods that are high in carbohydrates can also be beneficial to lowering your blood pressure through your diet. Grains-based products tend to be one of the best sources for carbohydrates, but these foods are also high in fiber, and fiber is a cleaning nutrient that can clear unwanted contaminants from the blood, improving your health. Carbohydrates in this form are very healthy, but you want to stay away from refined sugars or high-calorie, high-fat foods like those found at fast-food restaurants. Natural carbohydrates produced from whole foods will have the greatest benefit to your blood pressure, whereas processed foods like those at restaurants could increase your blood pressure -- particularly if they are high in sodium, a common trigger of high blood pressure.

Considerations

Carbohydrates don't increase your blood pressure, but they do increase your blood sugar levels and can lead to the accumulation of triglycerides in the blood. Triglycerides can be threatening to your health just as high blood pressure can, increasing your risk of heart disease and other conditions. This risk should discourage you from consuming large amounts of carbohydrates in a single session -- excess carbs are often converted to triglycerides in the body.