If you suffer from elevated blood pressure which is also known as hypertension, then you might be seeking methods to lower it.
Certain items, like beet juice, are said to reduce hypertension, however the improvement of your diet as well as making modifications to your lifestyle are effective strategies to lower blood pressure in the long run, says Amanda Stathos, a clinical dietitian at Johns Hopkins’ Sibley Memorial Hospital.
Three Ways to Ease High Blood Pressure
In managing risk factors that can lead to hypertension, Stathos recommends focusing your attention on three areas of nutrition and lifestyle that can put you on the right path:
- Cut down on salt: Sodium (salt) helps your body store fluid. This can boost the volume of fluid in your blood, and also raise blood pressure.
- Monitor the body weight: “In addition to high amounts of sodium, we also look at sugar and overall calories since excess body weight is a risk factor for high blood pressure,” Stathos adds. Stathos.
- Be physically active: “When dietitians are helping people with high blood pressure, we also look at other aspects of health such as regular exercise,” she states, noting that a lifestyle of sedentary increases the risk of developing hypertension.
How much sodium do you need per day?
If you suffer from elevated blood pressure Stathos recommends reducing the amount of sodium through a lower sodium intake is the best option. A little sodium is essential for good health, but not in large amounts: 1500 milligrams of sodium per day is the daily minimum amount you need. The upper limit, which is 2,300 mg, is just about one teaspoon of sodium.
She suggests these suggestions to cut down on salt intake in your diet:
Choose Low-Sodium Recipes
Cooking dishes with low sodium as well as reducing the amount of sodium in other dishes is a good method to cut down. “The American Heart Association is a great resource for low-sodium recipes and cooking ideas,” Stathos states.
heart-healthy recipes from the American Heart Association
- Tomato Basil Soup
- Cinnamon-sweet Tortilla chips topped with Fruit Salsa
Skip the Shaker
“I advise patients with hypertension to take the salt shaker off the table and instead use spices such as garlic, turmeric, and paprika, which add flavor and other health and fitness definitions to food.” Find out more about the advantages of using spices for health.
She says that salt substitutes are suitable for most people, but they could contain potassium. “Check with your dietitian or doctor to ensure you don’t have any health conditions that would be aggravated by extra potassium,” she suggests.
Avoid Processed Foods
“Salt is a preservative,” Stathos states. “Buying freshly frozen or fresh vegetables or fish whenever you are able is more beneficial than pre-cooked meals. To extend the shelf-life of prepared foods freshness the shelves of grocery stores manufacturers can include extra salt.
“Check the nutrition label: A portion of snack foods, sauce dressings, processed meats, and sauces should contain 200 mg sodium and less. When eating ready-to-eat meals try to have 600 mg sodium or less.”
Watch Out at Restaurants
If it’s at a fast food place or a gourmet restaurant, eating out of your home could mean eating more salty food. Even the tempting, time-saving foods from your local grocery store are often high in sodium.
“Restaurants do not generally make patrons’ health a priority,” Stathos declares. “To maximize flavors and keep people coming back, commercial chefs may be overgenerous with salt.”
A Holistic Approach to Taming High Blood Pressure
Instead of focusing solely on certain food items like beet juice, which can lower blood pressure, Stathos proposes an overall method of retooling your diet.
“You can’t build a pyramid from the top down,” Stathos states. “The best approach to reducing the risk of illness and death from hypertension is a strong foundation in good, wholesome foods and a lifelong approach to better eating, weight control, and regular exercise.”
Related: The 5 Best Monitor Blood Sugar Level With Health Care
High Blood Pressure Diet: The DASH Diet
Diet DASH is a well-known diet that is recommended for people with the treatment of high blood pressure. DASH is a term used to describe dietary strategies to treat hypertension. Stathos states that the DASH diet isn’t only low in sodium but also very nutritious.
“The emphasis on whole foods in these diets is very healthy,” she adds. “With the emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables Lean protein, and whole grains The DASH diet plan for meals helps people to manage high blood pressure, and simultaneously benefit from a higher intake of gut-friendly flavonoids that fight cancer, fiber, antioxidants as well as minerals and vitamins.
“We are still learning how these macro- and micronutrients in whole foods work together and with lower sodium to address high blood pressure and the damage it can wreak on the heart, blood vessels, and other organs.”
“Research shows that, for some people, following DASH can lower the top number of blood pressure (systolic) by eight to 14 points, and that’s huge,” she claims. “If your blood pressure is elevated, say at 130/80, the DASH diet may bring it back to normal.”
The healthy and heart-friendly Mediterranean diet which is founded on a variety of natural foods is a different alternative. Similar to DASH it is very vegetarian-based however, while DASH provides more specific guidelines regarding the amount and type of food to consume and how much, it is more generalized. Mediterranean food plan is much more general.
Foods to Avoid if you have high Blood Pressure
Salty foods and sodium are among the top no-nos. But what else can people suffering from hypertension avoid?
The red meat: This process involves breaking down saturated fats found in red meat and releasing chemical compounds in the body that increase blood pressure.
Sugary drinks: Sugar, particularly in drinks like fruit juices, sodas, and tea sweetened with sugar, as well as energy or sports drinks, is a major contributor to weight gain which is an important risk cause for the development of high blood pressure. Sugar may also contribute to hypertension in a study from 2019 female participants with high blood pressure reduced their consumption of sugar by 2.3 teaspoons daily which could lower their blood pressure.
Alcohol: Stathos states that people suffering from high blood pressure should adhere to AHA guidelines and limit their alcohol consumption to two drinks per day for men and two drinks for women. “Alcohol adds extra empty calories that can contribute to weight gain,” Stathos states. “Also, drinking alcohol temporarily raises blood pressure, so binge drinking can be dangerous.”
Licorice: Licorice is an herb and is utilized as a healing herb in addition to a flavoring agent. It may reduce the effectiveness of blood pressure medicines known as ACE inhibitors. If you are taking this type of medication, consult your dietitian, pharmacist, or physician before eating sweets or other products that contain the ingredient licorice.
Grapefruit: may interfere with blood pressure medicines known as calcium channel blockers. This can increase levels of these medications in the blood. Make sure you read your medication’s label carefully or speak to your dietitian, pharmacist, or doctor to confirm that the grapefruit you consume is safe when you’re taking blood pressure medication.
What’s the deal with caffeine? “You can get an occasional rise in blood pressure following drinking caffeinated beverages. It’s advised not to combine it with anything else that will push up your blood pressure, such as exercising. However, in general, caffeine can be consumed in moderate amounts. 400 mg per day is the recommended limit with 200 mg recommended if you’re hypersensitive to the effects. (Eight 8 ounces of coffee contains approximately 95 milligrams of caffeine).
“To test your sensitivity, take your blood pressure 30 and 60 minutes after your cup of coffee and see if there’s a difference.”
Do you think that beet juice can lower your blood pressure?
You may have heard that beet juice is a great source of blood pressure-easing properties. Are beet juice drinks beneficial for people suffering from hypertension?
However, it’s not a treatment by itself and it may not be suitable for all. Stathos states that beet juice has natural Nitrates that can let blood vessels open and help them relax for a short time. But she also mentions that to gain a true benefit, one must drink huge amounts of beet juice that is not processed.
Furthermore, the advantages of beet juice’s nitrites may be reduced through the calories “Juices in general contain a lot of sugar,” she says “Regularly drinking high-calorie beverages may cause weight gain and work against a person’s efforts to get blood pressure down.”
“But if you’re ignoring your other risk factors, such as salt intake, exercise, weight, and alcohol consumption, a glass of beet juice – even though it is good for you is not going to keep you as safe from hypertension as a more overall approach to lifestyle will.”
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