High blood pressure or called hypertension is a leading killer in nearly every country, accounting for roughly 20 per cent of deaths worldwide. A healthy diet is recommended for those who want to lower their reading level.
When your blood pressure is high, your heart needs to work harder to circulate blood throughout your body. This is always a significant issue, and ignoring it can lead to heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, heart failure, vision issues, and vascular dementia.
High blood pressure is linked to around half of all heart attacks and strokes, and high blood pressure is generally curable.
Throughout the day, blood pressure rises and falls. High blood pressure occurs when blood pressure remains increased for an extended period of time.
“High blood pressure is dangerous because it makes the heart work too hard and contributes to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries),” says NIH.
According to experts, what you eat affects your risk of getting high blood pressure.
The American Heart Association (AHA) says: “Eating a heart-healthy diet is important for managing your blood pressure and reducing your risk of heart attack, stroke and other health threats.”
People should avoid saturated and trans fats, as well as sodium, red meat, sweets, and sugar-sweetened beverages, according to the organization.
They recommend to “include healthy sources of lean and/or high-fiber protein such as plant proteins (nuts and legumes), fish or seafood, low fat or non-fat dairy, lean cuts of meat and limit red and processed meats.
“Research shows that replacing processed meat with other protein sources is associated with lower death rates.”
“A high protein diet helps to check the blood pressure as it gets digested slowly compared to carbohydrates causing less insulin and leptin production in the body,” says nutritionist Monisha Ashokan.
“Hence, the heart undergoes less pressure to pump blood resulting in lower blood pressure. Unlike the common belief, the bigger reason for blood pressure is intake of high sugar which is a bigger white monster than salt. So a high protein and moderate carbohydrate diet with sufficient amount of water intake keeps the sodium levels under control leading to stabilized blood pressure.”
According to the National Institutes of Health, a balanced eating plan can both minimize the risk of developing high blood pressure and lower blood pressure that has already reached dangerous levels.
It suggests: “For an overall eating plan, consider DASH, which stands for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.” You can reduce your blood pressure by eating foods that are low in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol, and high in fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy foods.”
It adds: “The DASH eating plan includes whole grains, poultry, fish, and nuts, and has low amounts of fats, red meats, sweets, and sugared beverages.
“It is also high in potassium, calcium, and magnesium, as well as protein and fibre. Eating foods lower in salt and sodium also can reduce blood pressure.”
It adds: “The DASH eating plan was not designed to promote weight loss. But it is rich in low-calorie foods such as fruits and vegetables.
“You can make it lower in calories by replacing high-calorie foods with more fruits and vegetables—and that also will make it easier for you to reach your DASH eating plan goals.”
According to experts, salt raises your blood pressure. The more salt you eat, the higher your blood pressure.
It suggests people aim to eat less than 6g (0.2oz) of salt a day, which is about a teaspoonful.
It adds: “Regularly drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure over time.
“Staying within the recommended levels is the best way to reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure.”
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