High blood pressure and heat: tips on coping with changes in the summer
Blood pressure tends to vary from one situation to another, and these changes should be taken into account - especially by people with hypertension - to avoid any health risks.
For example, the most noticeable change in blood pressure occurs between the day and the night, as when you are asleep it tends to drop 10% below daytime levels. But there are other factors that affect blood pressure:
- The summer and high temperatures. During the summer, it is estimated that around 30% of people with hypertension see their blood pressure decrease due to the heat, which has a vasodilatory effect.
- Altitude and sea level also help to lower blood pressure.
- Less stress. Holidays tend to make you more relaxed and reduce your stress, which is another factor that can help to lower blood pressure.
This change brings symptoms such as tiredness and low energy, so if you experience these you should measure your blood pressure and, if it remains consistently low, see your doctor so that they can adjust your medication.
High blood pressure and heat: tips on coping with changes in the summer.
High blood pressure and heat will not pose a problem for your health and your holidays if you follow these tips:
- Drink water. Proper hydration is essential for coping with these changes and to keep your body functioning properly.
- Medication alarms, because with the hustle and bustle of the holidays it is common to miss doses.
- Do physical exercise to control your weight, for at least 30 minutes. This will also offset any excesses in your diet. The best times to do it are early in the morning or at nightfall, as this way you avoid high temperatures.
- Look after your diet. Follow a diet that contains lots of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. Keep saturated fats to a minimum.
- Avoid and/or control your salt intake, as it is harmful for people with high blood pressure. Try to avoid products that are high in salt such as olives, anchovies, crisps, etc.
- Avoid alcohol and smoking, as these increase the pressure in your arteries.
- Regularly check your blood pressure to avoid any major problems.
- Take natural food supplements that help to lower cholesterol and improve your cardiovascular health. For example, Keriba Duo by Probelte Pharma, which is composed of whole olive and pomegranate extracts that help to prevent hypertension, atherosclerosis and high cholesterol levels in the blood.
How to take care of atopic skin in the summer
Taking care of your skin is one of the most important ways to keep it healthy, especially in the summer. At this time of year, external factors tend to dry out and irritate your skin, so keeping it well hydrated is essential.
When this situation (dry, dehydrated, rough or scaly skin) keeps recurring, it may be due to a flare-up of atopic dermatitis.
Although the symptoms of atopic skin usually improve during the summer, as the sun produces an immunosuppressive effect that reduces the skin's reactivity, you should be careful with prolonged exposure to the sun and bathing, as they are highly irritating and can worsen the condition.
To help you protect your skin, Probelte Pharma is going to give you some tips on how to take care of atopic skin.
Tips on how to take care of atopic skin in the summer
At this time of year it is important to follow the skin care tips below:
- Use sun protection specifically for this type of skin, with hypoallergenic, non-irritating ingredients. It is important that you apply it 30 minutes before you are exposed to the sun and before bathing, especially when you are going to be in a swimming pool, as it will act as a protective barrier against chlorine (an irritant). It should also be reapplied every time after bathing.
- Use moisturising cream after bathing. It is important to choose a cream with highly moisturising active ingredients that help to
restore the skin's health, such as aloe vera, sweet almond oil, olive oil, etc. - Choose make-up with UV protection, which helps to protect you from the sun, preferably enriched with moisturising active ingredients to maintain the health of your skin.
- Wear cotton clothing and avoid synthetics, which cause excessive sweating because they make your skin hotter and, as a result, irritate it.
- Be careful with air conditioning, because when it is used too much, it creates cold and dry environments that are harmful, as they dry out your skin.
- Look after your diet. Believe it or not, taking care of your diet is essential for the health of your skin. Eat more fruit and vegetables, which are high in vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, water and fibre. This will help your skin cells to protect themselves against damage from free radicals and photoageing and it will promote their regeneration.
- Drink at least 2 litres of water a day. This will help to keep your body properly hydrated and, of course, help to protect your health.
You can also take 100% natural food supplements with active ingredients that help to improve the health of your skin and, therefore, avoid dermatological problems. One such supplement is Keriba Forte with POMANOX®, which is composed of an extract from whole fresh pomegranates and contains 220 mg of punicalagins, polyphenols with powerful antioxidant properties that protect you against UV radiation, while also preventing the appearance of blemishes and the formation of wrinkles.
Development of a new vaccine for hymenoptera venom allergies
This project was co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) with the aim of promoting technological development, innovation and high-quality research.
PROBELTE PHARMA, S.L.U.
“DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW VACCINE FOR VARIOUS HYMENOPTERA VENOM ALLERGIES WITH IMPROVED EFFICACY AND GREATER CHEMICAL AND FUNCTIONAL STABILITY”
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8 tips for running in the summer
We may be in the middle of the summer, but people who like running do not want to stop doing it, and if you have just started running, you won’t want to lose your momentum. So, Probelte Pharma is going to give you some tips for running in the summer, so that your sporting performance does not decrease and your health is not harmed by the heat.
If you follow these recommendations, you will be less likely to quit this sport in the summer.
Tips for running in the summer
- Avoid running at the hottest time of the day (at midday). Running in the summer, especially outdoors, is best done early in the morning or after 7 pm.
- Protect yourself from the sun, even if it looks cloudy. Use sun protection, especially on your face and neck, and don't forget to wear sunglasses and a cap. This will protect you from the harmful effects of the sun's rays: photoageing and oxidative stress.
- Drink plenty of water to keep yourself properly hydrated. Don't forget to take a bottle of water with you when you go running and keep drinking it throughout the day. Remember that you should drink at least two litres of water a day.
- Choose suitable clothing. Besides the heat, a couple of other factors come into play, i.e. whether or not it is windy, and whether the clothing is loose or tight-fitting. The most important aspect of clothing is the fabric and whether it is loose-fitting. If you are running in the sun, the wind is not blowing and you are wearing tight-fitting clothes, choose white clothing, but if it is windy and your clothes are not tight-fitting, dark clothing is best. In short, it is best to opt for light, loose-fitting fabrics that lower your body temperature.
- Pay attention to the weather, because when the air is too ‘heavy’ or humid, the body finds it harder to cool itself down by sweating. It is also likely that you will not have as much oxygen in your lungs, even if you breathe in as usual.
- Lower your intensity because, due to the high temperatures, your body needs to exert more effort to cope with the exercise. It is therefore essential that you reduce your intensity and pace so that you can recover properly from the training later on.
- Look after your diet. It is always important to provide your body with the nutrients it needs for optimal sporting performance while not harming your health. If you change your diet in the summer, either because you lose your appetite due to the heat or to shed a few pounds, make sure that the amount and variety of food you eat provides you with the right calories and nutrients for your needs. If you are lacking any nutrients, you can always take high-quality natural food supplements, like Keriba Sport by Probelte Pharma, whose ingredients, especially magnesium and vitamin B6, help to reduce tiredness and fatigue, delaying the onset of exhaustion, which also helps to reduce muscle damage.
- Enjoy yourself. This factor is very important if you want to stay motivated and keep doing this sport. Make the most of the good weather and go for a run on the beach or in the mountains, enjoy the scenery and have a great time while you train.
If you follow these tips, you won't find it difficult to keep running this summer, as your experience will be more rewarding, both physically and mentally.
Natural products: Keriba food supplements
Opting for natural products is always a good choice, in fact it has been shown that natural products are extremely beneficial for your health.
However, it is also true that not all of them are effective. To protect your health, it is essential to opt for high-quality natural products that come with a guarantee, like those produced by Probelte Pharma. [p]
Why choose Probelte Pharma?
Probelte Pharma's products are designed in our manufacturing plant, which has been built and fitted out according to the strict criteria of the Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance system and it complies with GMP and European Pharmacopoeia standards. We use state-of-the-art technologies and apply the highest quality standards to our equipment and facilities.
This ensures that the manufacture and standardisation of the active ingredients, diagnostic materials and products that we produce have the safety, quality and efficacy required to fulfil their therapeutic purposes.
Thus, with the aim of continuously improving our products and processes, our products undergo a results assessment process, risk analysis, review process and fulfilment of objectives appraisal.
Focused on making further breakthroughs that improve people's quality of life, for over 10 years we have been conducting research into therapeutic nutrition, using cutting-edge technology and involving a multidisciplinary team of experts from a variety of fields (biologists, biochemists, pharmacists, etc.). These ten years of work have led to the development of our KERIBA range of food supplements.
Keriba range of natural products
Developed by expert biologists, biochemists, pharmacists, etc. Keriba is a range of therapeutic nutrition products, based on natural pomegranate and olive extracts, powerful antioxidants with numerous properties.
It consists of various natural products:
- Keriba Forte: Composed of a high-purity natural extract from whole fresh pomegranates (Pomanox®), it provides antioxidant and anti-ageing properties to the body.
- Keriba Duo, composed of natural olive (Mediteanox®) and pomegranate extracts (Pomanox®) to improve cardiovascular health. It prevents diseases such as hypertension and lowers the levels of “bad” cholesterol in the blood.
- Keriba Sport, a natural food supplement composed of pomegranate extract, magnesium and vitamin B6. It is designed to help you push your limits when exercising. Its active ingredients aid recovery after exercise and reduce fatigue, as well as providing numerous health benefits.
With its Keriba range of therapeutic food supplements, Probelte Pharma provides effective and natural support and solutions for everyday health problems.
Facial blemishes: how to prevent and treat them
At this time of year we spend more time exposed to the sun and the sun's ray shave a bigger impact on our skin. As a result, facial blemishes appear due to hyperpigmentation of the skin and the skin becomes dehydrated, leading to the appearance of fine expression lines.
Therefore, to protect your skin from the sun and try to avoid any blemishes, it is important to apply sunscreen every day, especially when you go to the beach or the swimming pool. But it is also important to take other steps, such as protecting yourself from the sun's rays from the inside.
Also, if you already have any blemishes, you should treat them with high-quality products specifically designed for this purpose.
Tips on how to prevent hyperpigmentation
As mentioned above, skin blemishes are caused by hyperpigmentation of the skin. In order to prevent them, it is important to:
- Apply sunscreen with a high protection factor every day.
- Consume antioxidants as they help to prevent photoageing of the skin by combating the oxidative stress caused by free radicals that are triggered by the sun's rays.
- Keep well hydrated, inside and out. This is essential to prevent the skin from becoming dehydrated and to avoid expression lines, peeling, etc.
- Take natural food supplements with an anti-ageing effect, which protect your skin against UV radiation from the inside. One of the most effective supplements is Keriba Duo because, besides promoting the regeneration of cells in the epidermal and dermal layers of the skin, it prevents hyperpigmentation and the appearance of blemishes and it stimulates the production of collagen and elastin which tighten the skin and prevent wrinkles.
Tips on how to treat facial blemishes
Once the dreaded facial blemishes have appeared, there is no turning back, they must be treated. There are numerous depigmentation methods, ranging from using creams or gels to surgery. However, we are going to recommend some natural remedies to get rid of skin blemishes. These treatments must be applied continually to see results, and should only be applied at night, as your skin will be more sensitive. Exposure to the sun should also be avoided to prevent any opposite effect on the skin. It is also advisable to continue putting these preventive tips into practice to prevent the appearance of further blemishes.
Natural depigmentation remedies:
- Lemon juice: its citric acid exfoliates the skin, removes dead skin cells and evens skin tone. Apply it with a cotton pad, rubbing it against the blemish for 5 minutes and allowing it to air dry.
- Aloe vera gel: rich in amino acids (valine, phenylalanine, leucine and lignin) that lighten blemishes; apply to the blemishes and rub it in until it is absorbed by the skin, leaving it to act. Repeat daily.
- Onion: especially effective for age spots and for people who are allergic to lemons. Cut a slice of onion and rub it on the spots for five minutes, repeating the process daily.
Tips on how to improve your blood circulation in the summer
The symptoms of poor blood circulation or chronic venous insufficiency, which affects 30% of Spanish adults, become more severe when the summer starts, increasing heaviness and tiredness in the legs.
Women are more likely to suffer from this, with their legs feeling more tired, swollen and clogged up. This is because the veins dilate more than usual, increasing the build-up of blood and fluid retention in the lower limbs.
What causes poor blood circulation?
When veins lose their elasticity and become distorted, the valves in the vein walls (which carry blood to the heart) do not close properly, and the blood pools in the legs, due to the force of gravity.
Furthermore, poor circulation can be made worse by:
- Being overweight.
- Hormonal imbalances, e.g. during pregnancy, menstruation or the menopause.
- A sedentary lifestyle.
- A poor diet, especially if it is high in fat and sodium.
- Taking certain medicines: contraceptive pill, antidepressants, anti-inflammatory drugs, etc.
- Diseases: thyroid, heart, kidney or liver diseases.
- Injuries, allergies or genetic problems.
- High temperatures, as they cause the veins to dilate and prevent blood from flowing back to the heart.
Tips on how to improve your circulation in the summer
The symptoms of poor blood circulation affect the health and quality of life of sufferers. It can be disabling due to the discomfort it causes and it can lead to painful varicose veins (dilated veins).
To improve circulation at this time of year you should follow these tips:
- Do not remain in the same position for a long time: standing up, stationary or sitting; if it is unavoidable due to work or long journeys, try to move your feet and legs regularly, take a few steps, etc.
- Put your legs up whenever possible, especially if you spend a long time sitting (you can use a footrest). You should do this at midday, in the evening and at bedtime, raising your legs by about fifteen centimetres.
- Massage your legs and ankles with a cool gel in an upward motion, from the feet towards the knee, while you are lying down.
- Alternate showering with hot and cold water. To boost circulation, it is best to alternate warm showers (max. 38 °C) with cold jets on your legs. When finished, run cold water up your calves to relieve the feeling of heaviness.
- Moisturise your skin properly to keep it supple. After showering, you should apply a moisturising lotion or cream to your legs, massaging them gently to promote blood circulation.
- Avoid tight clothing as it can hinder venous return from the legs to the heart. Especially in the summer, it is important to wear loose-fitting, breathable clothing and comfortable shoes.
- Follow a balanced diet that is high in fibre. Overweight and constipation affect circulation, so to prevent them it is essential to consume fibre, fruit, vegetables and cereals, and to minimise your salt intake to reduce fluid retention.
- Drink at least 2 litres of water a day to keep your body hydrated and functioning properly.
- Avoid smoking and alcohol as they impede circulation.
- Perform moderate physical exercise regularly. Swimming, walking, dancing, exercising and cycling are good ways to improve circulation in your legs.
- Taking antioxidant supplements that boost circulation like Keriba Duo, a natural product obtained from the fresh whole fruits of the olive and pomegranate, helps to prevent cardiovascular diseases like high blood pressure and to control cholesterol levels, thus promoting optimal cardiovascular health.
Foods that contribute to ageing
As yet, no one has invented a way to stop time and prevent ageing from taking its toll on us. Every day it becomes more noticeable: wrinkles become more pronounced, blemishes and crow's feet appear, the skin loses its natural glow and moisture, etc.
However, there are various ways to slow down and stop the effects of ageing. The most effective methods include following a balanced diet, doing sports and avoiding bad habits; this will keep you active, young and healthy.
If we focus on diet, if you want to combat and slow down ageing you should reduce your intake of/avoid eating certain foods that contribute to and accelerate the ageing process.
Foods that contribute to ageing
The following foods contribute to the ageing process due to their active ingredients, properties and effects on the body; it is therefore important to consume less of them and even, in certain cases, avoid them entirely.
- Coffee. Consuming too much coffee dehydrates your skin, leading to a dull complexion. It also stains your teeth and reduces the quality of your sleep, leading to puffiness and bags under your eyes.
- Sugary drinks, especially if they are carbonated. They lead to a build-up of gas, weight gain and health problems such as diabetes. Moreover, many of them contain high amounts of caffeine, which affects your sleep quality and, when combined with a lack of rest, reduces the elasticity of your skin.
- Processed meat. This contains additives that cause inflammation in the body, affecting collagen and skin elasticity. As a result, wrinkles are accentuated and expression lines appear.
- Simple carbohydrates such as rice cakes, white bread, etc. They have a high glycaemic index which reduces the elasticity of the skin and muscles. They can also cause insulin spikes, increasing blood sugar, which leads to weight gain.
- Salt. Consuming too much salt in your diet increases your blood pressure and decreases the amount of collagen you produce, leading to premature ageing. It can also cause dermatitis or dry skin as salt dehydrates you.
- Sugar. Consuming too much of this speeds up ageing by reducing the elasticity of the skin, which has a direct impact on your blood vessels, accelerating inflammation. It can also lead to diseases such as diabetes.
- Trans fats. These provide the body with empty calories and eating too much of them can clog your arteries.
- Alcohol. This causes very rapid dehydration, which is harmful to your health.
- Spicy foods. These dilate the blood vessels and cause them to rupture, which results in your skin losing its elasticity, firmness and natural colour.
- Red meat. This is high in carnitine. Too much of this substance hardens the capillaries and leads to premature ageing. So you should eat it no more than twice a week.
- Artificial preservatives. These contain sulphites that have a direct effect on blood vessels, leading to a loss of elasticity and the appearance of wrinkles in the skin.
HIIT routine to get beach body ready
With summer just around the corner, it's time to get cracking and get yourself beach body ready. This means following a balanced diet, keeping well hydrated and exercising.
The main aims of getting beach body ready are to lose excess weight and get rid of body fat. Exercising is essential if you want to achieve this.
There are countless exercises that you can do to achieve these goals, but the most effective way is to combine strength training with cardiovascular exercises; although sometimes a lack of time, tiredness, laziness, the heat, etc. can make it difficult to follow a routine.
For this reason, at Probelte Pharma, we recommend an exercise routine that speeds up your metabolism, as it involves movements that use all of your body's muscles. This means that your body remains active after you complete the routine, so it continues to burn fat.
It is an HIIT routine, a type of functional training that is great for losing weight and can be done at home, in the gym or even on the street.
It consists of a high-intensity routine that combines several intense exercises with short time intervals. During these intervals, glucose is metabolised during the intense phase and fat reserves are metabolised during the rest phase. This metabolisation of glucose and fat will lower your body fat index, thereby improving your performance.
HIIT routine
The first thing you need to do is to warm up for 5-10 minutes to prepare your body for the intense workout and to avoid any injuries.
This type of routine should be completed 3 or 4 times a week and the intensity should be increased as your recovery times improve.
There are several ways to do this training, but the most common approach is to set short time intervals (20-30 seconds) for high-intensity exercises and recovery times (15-20 seconds).
So, for example, the HIIT routine could be as follows:
- Jumping jacks. This involves doing star jumps for 30 seconds, with as many repetitions as possible. After doing this, rest for 15 seconds and move on to the next exercise.
- Mountain climbers. To do these, get on your hands and knees, and rest both hands on the floor, a shoulder-width apart, with your elbows straight. Stretch one leg out and bend the other, with the tips of your toes on the floor. Bring your knees toward your chest one at a time. You should do as many repetitions as possible for 30 seconds. Rest for 20 seconds.
- Alternating lunges. Stand with your hands on your hips. Bring your right leg forward and lower until it is at a 90° angle, then return it to the starting position and do the same with the other leg. To increase the intensity you can add a jump when changing legs. Do this for 30 seconds at maximum intensity and rest for 20 seconds.
- Push-ups. As many repetitions as possible for 30 seconds with 30 seconds of rest.
- Front plank. Position yourself parallel to the floor, resting on your hands at shoulder height and with your elbows straight. Hold this position by squeezing the abdomen for 30 seconds, and rest for 20 seconds. If you want to make it more intense, you can bend your arms and support yourself with your forearms instead of the palms of your hands.
To complete the workout you have to continue doing these exercises until you have finished at least 2 sets. You only need 10 minutes! As you continue to exercise, your endurance will improve and you will lose weight, so you can increase the intensity and include other exercises, such as squats, running on the spot with knee lifts, side planks, etc. or you can increase the number of sets of exercises, always sticking to 20-30-second time intervals.
Once you are fit, taking food supplements can help you to boost your sporting performance by providing the nutrients you need to push your boundaries. For this purpose, Probelte Pharma has developed Keriba Sport with Pomanox, magnesium and vitamin B6. Push your limits!
Hypertension and physical exercise
Hypertension (high blood pressure) occurs when systolic pressure is between 120 and 129 mm Hg and diastolic pressure is below 80 mm Hg. Additionally, it may worsen to stage 1 hypertension (systolic pressure of 130-139 and diastolic pressure of 80-89 mm Hg) or stage 2 hypertension. This is more severe hypertension, when systolic pressure is 140 mm Hg or higher or diastolic pressure is 90 mm Hg or higher.
High blood pressure levels tend to worsen over time unless steps are taken to control them. And, although it may seem contradictory, one of the most effective steps is to raise your heart rate through physical exercise.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Society of Hypertension state that physical exercise is very useful intreating and preventing hypertension as it reduces blood pressure levels, improves physical fitness and reduces risk factors for chronic diseases.
In fact, even a small reduction in blood pressure levels has been shown to help reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack.
The benefits of exercise if you have hypertension
When you exercise your body gains numerous benefits, resulting in a reduction in hypertension: 
- It helps to maintain a suitable weight, preventing obesity.
- It increases your heart rate and therefore improves the contraction of your heart, which functions better.
- It helps to fight against anxiety, depression and stress by producing endorphins and other mood-enhancing hormones.
- It lowers blood pressure and cholesterol.
- It lowers blood glucose levels, helping to prevent diabetes.
- It improves your physical fitness and appearance, so it makes you feel better.
However, if you have hypertension you should be careful, because not every activity and intensity is suitable for you. The first thing you should do is see your doctor so that they can recommend the exercise that is best for you.
Exercises to treat hypertension
Generally, the most effective exercises for treating high blood pressure (hypertension) are the ones that involve the large muscle groups and are rhythmic and aerobic exercises. These include:
- Walking
- Dancing
- Running
- Swimming
- Cycling
Another factor to take into account is the intensity of the physical exercise. There is no general rule of thumb for this, as everyone's physical fitness is different, and the intensity recommended for one person may be counterproductive for another.
Therefore, when doing exercise, people with hypertension should consider the following points:
- If it is aerobic exercise, you should monitor your heart rate and breathing. When your heart rate rises above a set level, or you start to pant, you should reduce your intensity/pace. The duration of the exercise varies according to your physical fitness, but for sedentary people for example, it is advisable to start walking at a good pace for about 20 minutes and gradually increase it to 60 minutes over time. It is also advisable to do this 3-5 days a week.
- In the case of anaerobic, body-building exercises, you should always use moderate loads, from 50-69% of the maximum force that can be applied in that exercise, to avoid pushing up your heart rate too much. The duration will depend on the number of exercises, sets and repetitions.
- When you have limited time or become overly tired when exercising, it is best to spread the allotted time (on average 30 minutes of exercise per day) over two or three sessions throughout the day (each of 15 or 10 minutes respectively). The benefit is the same as if you exercise all in one go.