Foods To Eat To Lower Blood Pressure
Its estimated that 2 of 3 people with diabetes have high blood pressure. When blood pressure is elevated, your heart works harder to pump blood throughout your body. High blood pressure increases your risk of a heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and eye problems.
You have already heard about how added salt can increase blood pressure, but did you know that certain foods can help to lower blood pressure? Foods that are high in potassium, magnesium, and calcium can help to regulate blood pressure. Taking these minerals as supplements doesnt have the same effect as eating foods that contain these. Try eating some of the following foods to boost your intake of nutrients that can lower blood pressure naturally.
Nuts are a good source of plant protein and contain the amino acid L-arginine which makes nitric oxide and helps blood vessels relax. While all nuts are a healthy choice, both almonds and pistachios contain the trifecta of potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Nuts are low in carbohydrates and eating nuts has been linked to improved glucose levels.
Beets contain nitrates, which are converted to nitric oxide which helps to control blood pressure. Beetroot juice contains higher amounts of nitrates than cooked beetroot. Beetroots contain potassium. For added calcium and magnesium, eat the beet greens as well.
How Long Does It Take To Lower Blood Pressure
Each and every one of us is different. So, how long it takes to lower your blood pressure will depend on how high your levels are, the medication you’re taking to lower it, and how carefully you’re following the treatment plan prescribed for you by your doctor. Read more about how to safely lower your blood pressure in this overview.
What Do You Know About Low Sodium Diets
Any amount of salt is bad for your health.
A. MythB. Fact
The correct answer is myth. Salt contains sodium. Your body needs sodium to work properly. Sodium helps your body control many functions. But too much can be bad for you. If you have high blood pressure or heart failure, you may have to limit how much salt you eat every day.
To lower high blood pressure, you should limit how much sodium you get to:
A. 5,000 mg per dayB. 3,500 mg per dayC. 2,300 mg per day
The correct answer is 2,300 mg per day. For some people, 1,500 mg a day is an even better goal. Ask your doctor how much sodium you should have. Also ask about ways to limit salt in your diet.
Which is most likely to be low in salt?
A. Fresh vegetables
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Cut Back On Sugar And Refined Carbohydrates
Many studies show that restricting sugar and refined carbohydrates can help you lose weight and lower your blood pressure.
Sugar, especially fructose, may increase your blood pressure more than salt, according to one 2014 review. In trials lasting at least 8 weeks, sugar increased blood pressure by 5.6 mm Hg diastolic and 6.9 mm Hg systolic .
A 2020 study that compared various popular diets found that for people who with more weight or obesity, low carb and low fat diets lowered their diastolic blood pressure by an average of about 5 mm Hg and their systolic blood pressure 3 mm Hg after 6 months .
Another benefit of a low carb, low sugar diet is that you feel fuller longer, because youre consuming more protein and fat.
Watch Out For Sneaky Sodium In Your Diet
Sodium is one of our bodys essential nutrients. However, when eaten in large amounts, it can contribute to high blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, aim for no more than 1,500 mg a day. You can do this by reading sodium amounts on food labels and preparing food at home instead of eating out.
You can also look for low or no sodium versions of your favorite foods, like canned beans, which should contain less than 140 mg of sodium per serving. If you dont have issue with elevated blood pressures, you should still look at food labels and try to limit your daily sodium intake to no more than 2,300 mg.
The typical American diet can contain 3,400 mg of sodium or more. To help you be more mindful of those foods, the American Heart Association has identified what they call the Salty Six.
Instead of salt, lean on herbs and spices to enhance and provide flavor. Choose unsalted snacks as another way to keep salt out of your diet. All of these are great steps to lower your blood pressure and keep your heart healthy. Check out these 5 heart-healthy steps to work into your diet.
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Know Your Serving Sizes
To know how much to eat, you need to know serving sizes. Below are sample servings for each food group.
Vegetables:
- 1 cup raw leafy vegetables
- ½ cup chopped raw or cooked vegetables
Fruits:
- 1 medium fruit
- ½ cup fresh, frozen, or canned fruit
- ¼ cup dried fruit
Fat-free or low-fat dairy products:
- 1 cup milk or yogurt
- 1½ ounce or 50 grams cheese
Grains :
- 1 slice bread
- ½ cup cooked rice, pasta, or cereal
Lean meats, poultry, and fish:
- 3 oz of cooked fish, lean meat, or poultry
Nuts, seeds, and legumes:
- ½ cup cooked legumes
- 1/3 cup nuts
- 1 tablespoon seeds
Fats and oils:
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons low-fat salad dressing
- 1 teaspoon soft margarine
Sweets and added sugars:
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon jelly or jam
- ½ cup sorbet, gelatin dessert
The Ideal Diet For Lower Blood Pressure
Eating lots of whole foodsand watching the sodiumcan help reduce your need for medication
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High blood pressure affects 1 in 3 Americans. Medication can help control it, but as with most chronic health conditions, having healthy habits is also important.
You should always work with your doctor, but lifestyle can play a huge role in managing hypertension at every age, says Holly Nicastro, Ph.D., M.P.H., program director in the division of cardiovascular sciences at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. That includes not smoking, controlling stress, exercising, and eating the right kinds of foods. In fact, a healthy diet is one of the most powerful tools for lowering your numbersand may reduce the need for medication.
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How To Lower Blood Pressure Using Foods Herbs And Natural Supplements
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Is High Blood Pressure Curable
Many people on the internet seem to promise a cure for various diseases and conditions including high blood pressure. Vegan diets are sometimes promoted as a cure for high blood pressure and many other diseases.
But can you actually cure high blood pressure?
The answer may depend on how you define cure. If curing a disease means you no longer require medication to manage it, then yes, there are dietary patterns and lifestyle changes that may allow you to eventually stop taking a blood pressure medication .
But are you cured?
Id argue no. If you stop the lifestyle changes youve made, the high blood pressure would most likely come back. So really, lifestyle changes, including dietary changes, are not curing anything. They may just manage the condition.
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Tips For Following The Dash Diet
The DASH diet is designed to be easy to follow. But it might mean making some changes to how you currently eat. To get started:
- Do not try to make changes all at once. It’s fine to change your eating habits gradually.
- To add vegetables to your diet, try having a salad at lunch. Or, add cucumber, lettuce, shredded carrots, or tomatoes to your sandwiches.
- There should always be something green on your plate. It’s fine to use frozen vegetables instead of fresh. Just make sure the package does not contain added salt or fat.
- Add sliced fruit to your cereal or oatmeal for breakfast.
- For dessert, choose fresh fruit or low-fat frozen yogurt instead of high-calorie sweets, such as cakes or pies.
- Choose healthy snacks, such as unsalted rice cakes or popcorn, raw vegetables, or yogurt. Dried fruits, seeds, and nuts also make great snack choices. Just keep these portions small because these foods are high in total calories.
- Think of meat as part of your meal, instead of the main course. Limit your servings of lean meat to 6 ounces a day. You can have two 3-ounce servings during the day.
- Try cooking without meat at least twice each week. Instead, eat beans, nuts, tofu, or eggs for your protein.
What Are Some Alternative Treatments For High Blood Pressure
Dont rely on CBD alone to lower blood pressure. Its important to talk with a doctor and follow what they prescribe. This may include medication.
There are also home remedies that can help manage the condition. A nutritious diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins is important, along with managing weight and exercising regularly. Maintaining a low sodium diet is also advised.
Stress management is also key. Things like meditation, massage, yoga, and even deep breathing are worth exploring to reduce stress.
Finally, smoking can also have an effect on blood pressure. Chemicals in tobacco smoke are damaging to tissues in the body and harden the walls of blood vessels. Alcohol can also raise blood pressure, so limiting your intake can help.
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Dash Eating Plan: Reducing Blood Pressure Through Diet And Lifestyle
Think you can’t stop hypertension, or high blood pressure? You might be able to if you follow a healthy eating pattern, such as the DASH diet. Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension is a style of eating thats high in fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, fish, poultry and low-fat or fat-free dairy products and is low in foods and beverages with added sugars, red meats and sodium.
Originally designed as an eating plan to lower blood pressure, DASH has many advantages for health and may help to reduce cardiovascular risk factors. This heart-healthy eating plan, which focuses on whole foods, is higher in nutrients that have been shown to lower blood pressure – dietary fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium and protein – and lower in saturated fats, trans fat, cholesterol, added sugars and sodium. It can be a way of eating for the whole family, and also may reduce risk of stroke, heart disease and kidney stones.
Here’s a look at the basics of the DASH eating plan and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
Get Your Fruits and Veggies
Fruits and vegetables are natural sources of potassium which is important in managing blood pressure. Since some studies show that low intakes of potassium may be related to hypertension, making half your plate fruits and vegetables will help you increase your intake.
Go Nuts
Choose Low-Fat or Fat-Free Dairy
Limit Sodium and Saturated Fat
Be Physically Active and Limit Alcohol
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When To See A Doctor About High Blood Pressure Symptoms
High blood pressure often does not cause any symptoms. So, if you are at the dentist or physicians office and are told that your blood pressure is high, it is important for you to check your blood pressure regularly while not at a doctors office. When blood pressure is very high, it can cause headache, dizziness, unsteadiness, visual disturbances, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Chronic elevated blood pressure causes decreased blood flow to vital organs. Over time this may cause dementia, blindness, heart failure, and kidney failure. When these occur in someone with high blood pressure, it is important to see your doctor, says Dr. Li. Its always best to catch it before these symptoms develop, so have your blood pressure checked regularly as part of an annual exam.
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How To Get Started
On the DASH diet, you can eat foods from all food groups. But you will include more of the foods that are naturally low in salt, cholesterol, and saturated fats. You will also include foods that are high in potassium, calcium, magnesium, and fiber.
Here’s a list of the food groups and how many servings of each you should have per day. For a diet that has 2000 calories per day, you should eat:
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Low-fat or fat-free dairy products, such as milk or yogurt
- Grains
- Fish, lean meats, and poultry
- Beans, seeds, and nuts
- Fats and oils
- Sweets or added sugars, such as jelly, hard candy, maple syrup, sorbet, and sugar
The number of servings you have each day depends on how many calories you need.
- If you’re trying to lose weight, you may need fewer servings than listed.
- If you are not very active, aim for the lower number of servings listed.
- If you are moderately active, have the higher number of servings.
- If you are very active, you may need more servings than listed.
Your provider can help find the right number of servings a day for you.
What Diet Decreases Risk Of High Blood Pressure
The DASH diet is perhaps the most well-known diet for managing blood pressure. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension . The DASH diet is well researched and there is convincing evidence that it can help lower blood pressure 4.
Its based around eating certain amounts of foods each day with a focus on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds, beans, low- or no-fat dairy, lean meats like poultry and fish, and some fats and oils 4.
There is also research supporting that plant-based diets, focusing on whole foods, can help prevent and/ or manage high blood pressure 5, 6, 7. Furthermore, research supports that vegetarians tend to have lower blood pressure compared to omnivores 5.
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Maintain Normal Weight Or Lose Weight If Overweight
One of the benefits of a healthier diet is weight loss, pointed out the committee. The really good news: clinical trials have documented that even small reductions in weight just 10 to 12 pounds net significant reductions in blood pressure. To be sure, the more excess weight you lose, the more your blood pressure drops. And a critical factor in sustaining weight loss is a high level of physical activity, stated the committee.
What Do I Do If My Blood Pressure Is High
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You Can Consume These Foods For High Blood Pressure:
* Foxtail millet is advisable. You can consume it in the form of khichdi, idli, or kheer. * Fish and lean chicken are abundant in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins and minerals which can help lower high blood pressure. * Green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, cabbage, and watercress are perfect vegetables for high blood pressure. * Fruits like oranges, mango, and jamun contain vitamins and minerals that help in decreasing blood pressure. * Last but not the least, flaxseeds are a powerhouse of nutrients that can decrease high blood pressure.