Foods to Lower Blood Pressure

For those who suffer from hypertension, doctors often recommend a diet that includes foods to lower blood pressure. Knowing which foods to avoid can also help manage your blood pressure more effectively.

High Blood Pressure and Hypertension

Blood pressure and hypertension are medical terms for the same thing. Your blood pressure is the force of your blood against the artery walls. If you have high blood pressure, your heart is working very hard. When your blood pressure remains high over a long period of time, you will experience hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) and are at risk for heart attacks and stroke.

Risk Factors for Heart Disease

You may be at risk for heart disease if you have the following risk factors in addition to high blood pressure:

• Abnormal cholesterol
• Smoking or other tobacco use
• Diabetes
• Overweight
• Sedentary lifestyle with little or no exercise

Blood Pressure Levels

If your blood pressure level is 140/90 or higher, you may have high blood pressure. For individuals over the age of 55, this is important because it can be an indication of health complications to come in the future. If you are slightly below the high blood pressure level, you may have pre-hypertension. This means that if you take steps now to control your blood pressure, you can protect your heart and arteries from future damage.

How to Control Blood Pressure

Are you concerned that you may have high blood pressure? Many people recognize when they have symptoms of high blood pressure. They may feel irritable or on edge and they may feel dizzy when they lay down. While this is normal some of the time, feeling this way all of the time can signal a problem. Luckily, pre-hypertension and hypertension can be controlled in several ways:

• Find your target weight and follow a plan to reduce your weight if needed
• Add a moderate level of exercise to strengthen your body and to lose or maintain weight
• Start using the DASH diet to help lower your blood pressure

The DASH Diet

The DASH Diet is a diet approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This diet, when combined with moderate exercise, can help lower blood pressure. The following food servings are suggested:

• Whole grains- 7-8 servings per day
• Vegetables- 4-5 servings per day
• Fruits- 4-5 servings per day
• Low fat or fat-free dairy products- 2-3 servings per day
• Lean meats, poultry and fish- 2 or fewer servings per day
• Nuts and legumes- 4-5 servings per week
• Fats and oils- 2-3 servings per day
• Sweets- 5 or fewer per week

Food to Avoid and Foods to Lower Blood Pressure

Eating certain healthy foods and avoiding others can help lower blood pressure. Foods that should be avoided when trying to lower blood pressure include:

• Salty snacks
• Caffeinated drinks
• Foods with high sodium contents
• Sugary snacks and foods such as pies, cakes and candy

Foods that are good to eat when trying to lower your blood pressure include:

• Fruits that are fresh or canned in their own juice
• Vegetables or vegetable drinks like low-sodium V-8
• Whole grain foods such as brown rice instead of bleached white rice
• Fat-free or low fat dairy products
• Unsaturated oils and olive oil

Monitor Your Blood Pressure

If you suspect that you may have high blood pressure, make an appointment to see your doctor right away. Certain medications may be prescribed to help manage your blood pressure and taking them sooner as opposed to later can prevent damage to your heart and arteries. If you know that you have high blood pressure, following the DASH diet, getting the proper exercise and monitoring your blood pressure regularly can help keep you in peak physical condition. Your blood pressure can be monitored in your doctor’s office, at many giant retail stores (such as Wal-Mart) and individual blood pressure monitoring kits may be purchased for home use.

Taking care of yourself is the most important thing to do if you have high blood pressure. Small changes in your lifestyle, such as eating foods to lower blood pressure, can go a long way to ensure a long and happy life.