What is hypertension diet?
Dietary approaches for hypertension diet (DASH diet) is a healthy eating program created to help treat or prevent high blood pressure. Foods high in potassium, calcium, and magnesium are part of the DASH diet. These nutrients aid in blood pressure regulation. Foods that are heavy in sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars are restricted in the diet.
dash diet food list
The DASH diet (hypertension diet) requires no special foods and instead provides daily and weekly nutritional goals. This plan recommends: (1)
- Eating vegetables, fruits, and whole grains
- Including fat-free or low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, beans, nuts, and vegetable oils
- Limiting foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, and tropical oils such as coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils
- Limiting sugar-sweetened beverages and sweets
These are some tips to help you follow hypertension diet easier.
- At lunch and dinner, include a serving of vegetables.
- As a snack or addition to meals, include a portion of fruit. It’s simple to utilize dried and canned fruits, but make sure they don’t contain any added sugar.
- Use low-fat or fat-free condiments and half the usual amount of butter, margarine, or salad dressing.
- Anytime you would typically use full-fat or cream, substitute low-fat or skim dairy products.
- 6 ounces of meat maximum each day. Create some vegetarian dishes.
- Increase your intake of dry beans and veggies.
- Snack on unsalted pretzels, nuts, raisins, low-fat and fat-free yoghurt, frozen yoghurt, unsalted plain popcorn without butter, and raw veggies rather than chips or sweets.
Which diet is best for high blood pressure?
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is the most prevalent reversible risk factor for heart disease. Hypertension diet is crucial for these individuals to reduce the blood pressure.
Research has shown that having certain foods in your diet, especially those high in specific nutrients like potassium and magnesium, lowers your blood pressure levels. A balanced diet is crucial for decreasing blood pressure and maintaining ideal levels and effective for hypertension diet.
This table summarizes the dietary components reviewed that are great for hypertension diet and their net effect on blood pressure. (2)
| Dietary Component | Effect on Hypertension |
|---|---|
| -Fruits and Vegetables- | |
| Pomegranate Juice | ↓ |
| Citrus Fruit (e.g. oranges and pomegranate) | ↓ |
| Garlic | ↓ |
| Dairy Products | ↓ |
| -Spices- | |
| Chili Peppers (e.g. red peppers, yellow peppers, paprika) | ↓/↑* |
| Cinnamon | ↓ |
| Black Pepper | ↓ |
| Turmeric | ↓ |
| Green Tea | ↓ |
| Omega-3 Fatty Acids | ↓ |
| -Trace Elements- | |
| Copper | ↓ |
| Zinc | ↓ |
| Magnesium | ↓ |
| Calcium | ↓ |
| Sodium | ↑ |
| Fructose | ↑ |
prevent high blood pressure
Here some of the foods that are perfect for hypertension diet (DASH diet).
| Swiss Chard Swiss chard is a leafy green that is rich in minerals that control blood pressure, such as potassium and magnesium. Magnesium is crucial for controlling blood pressure as well. It lowers blood pressure in a number of ways, including by acting as a natural calcium channel blocker, which prevents calcium from entering heart and arterial cells and causing blood vessels to relax. |
| Citrus Fruits Citrus fruits, such as grapefruit, oranges, and lemons, may significantly reduce blood pressure. They include a wealth of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and plant chemicals, which may protect your heart by lowering risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure. |
| Fatty Fish Omega-3 fats, which have a major positive impact on heart health, are a fantastic source of fatty fish. By reducing inflammation and blood vessel-constricting chemicals, these fats may help lower blood pressure. |
| Berries Antioxidants, such as anthocyanins, the pigments that give berries their vivid color, are abundant in berries. Berries are perfect fruits to be part of hypertension diet, as they can effect to reduce heart disease factors like high blood pressure. |
| Whole grains Consuming whole grains, such as amaranth, may help decrease blood pressure. |
| Pistachios Among all the nuts, pistachio intake had the strongest effect on reducing blood pressure. |
| Carrots The phenolic chemicals found in high concentrations in carrots, such as chlorogenic, p-coumaric, and caffeic acids, relax blood vessels and reduce inflammation, which may lower blood pressure. |
| Celery It contains substances known as phthalides, which could aid in relaxing blood vessels and lowering blood pressure. |
| Greek Yogurt Greek yoghurt is a dairy product rich in nutrients and loaded with potassium and calcium, two elements that assist control blood pressure. |
| Spinach Beets and spinach both contain a lot of nitrates. It is a fantastic option for persons with high blood pressure because it is also packed with antioxidants, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. |
high blood pressure food to avoid
Salt
For those with high blood pressure, salt is a dangerous ingredient. Thus, it’s crucial to watch how much of it you eat. Even when you aren’t adding salt to your diet, it can still be challenging to avoid it. It can be challenging to determine whether there is salt present without reading the label. But salt has already been added to a lot of prepared foods and snacks.
Sauces & Condiments
ketchup, steak sauce, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, and salad dressings are examples of sauces. But if you read the list of ingredients for some of these sauces and condiments, you’ll soon discover that they also include a lot of salt. Gravy and red and white pasta sauces both frequently contain a lot of salt. Read the label and ingredient lists before selecting condiments and sauces to look for low-sodium options. Try to avoid high sodium sauces while on hypertension diet.
canned and processed foods
To improve flavor and preserve the food, a lot of canned vegetables, soups, and other food products are made with a lot of salt. Try to consume low-salt soups, fresh or frozen vegetables, or both whenever you can. If you must use canned goods, either purchase foods that have “no salt added” or rinse the product before eating to remove any excess salt.
In addition to having excessive salt levels, processed meats are frequently exceedingly fatty and contribute to poor overall health.
Caffeine
Any form of caffeine makes the blood vessels tighten, which can increase blood pressure. There are many drinks that contain caffeine, including coffee, energy drinks, sodas, and teas.
Pizza
Incredible amounts of salt are used in pizza. Nearly 3,500 milligrams of salt, or more than double the daily allowance suggested by the American Heart Association of 1,500 milligrams, may be found in one medium pepperoni pizza.
Alcohol
Avoid drinking alcohol or limit your alcohol consumption if you have high blood pressure. That entails up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for males for healthy individuals.
