Foods That Lower Blood Pressure
Food plays a very important role in combating high blood pressure because two of the risk factors for high blood pressure are weight and salt and it is possible to choose food that helps lower blood pressure. The secret is to select a high blood pressure diet which will both help to maintain, or if necessary reduce, your weight and which will also keep you within the daily recommended allowance of no more than 2,400 milligrams (mg) of salt.
Food and dieting is a very large subject and certainly too broad for us to try to cover it in any great detail here. However, here is an idea of some foods to lower high blood pressure and some foods which you should avoid or eat only occasionally.
High blood pressure diet foods which can be eaten frequently:
- Lean cuts of meat.
- Chicken and turkey (as long as the skin is removed).
- Fresh or frozen fish.
- Skimmed milk. (Semi-skimmed milk is fine in small quantities such as adding it to tea.)
- Loaf breads, dinner rolls, English muffins, bagels and pita bread.
- Cereals, as long as they are 'low sodium' varieties.
- Plain rice and noodles.
- Fresh or frozen vegetables and canned vegetable which have not had salt added.
- Fruit.
- Soups which are low in sodium.
- Margarine and vegetable oils.
- Spices, herbs and flavorings such as parsley, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, vinegar and fruit juices.
All of the above items represent an excellent choice of food to reduce high blood pressure.
High blood pressure diet foods which should be avoided or eaten in very limited quantities:
- Smoked or cured meats such as bacon, hot dogs, bologna, corned beef, ham, luncheon meats and sausage.
- Canned fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel. If you do eat fish canned in brine or salted water you should rinse it thoroughly before eating.
- Buttermilk (high in sodium).
- Cheese and cheese spreads.
- Salty snacks such as potato chips, pretzels, nuts and pork rinds (scratchings).
- Quick cooking rice, instant noodles and prepared quick meals such as frozen diners, pot pies and pizza. If these are eaten then you should check the nutrition information on the label and choose varieties which are low in sodium.
- Regular canned vegetables. If you do eat vegetables canned in brine or salted water you should rinse them thoroughly before eating.
- Pickled foods such as relish, pickles, olives, sauerkraut and herrings.
- Regular canned soups and instant soups.
- Ketchup, soy sauce, steak sauce, barbecue sauce, garlic salt, onion salt, bouillon cubes, meat tenderizer and monosodium glutamate.
These lists of good and bad blood pressure lowering foods are not of course exhaustive, but will give you a good starting point. For more specific information on food that lowers high blood pressure check out the DASH diet for high blood pressure.
Beta blockers: One type of medication used in the treatment of hypertension, chest pain, and irregular heartbeat, and to help prevent future heart attacks. Beta blockers work by blocking the effects of adrenaline in various parts of the body and work on the heart to relieve stress so that it requires less blood and oxygen. Because the heart does not need to work so hard, blood pressure is lowered. Beta blockers also work on blood vessels to relax the vessel walls and lower blood pressure.
Erythropoietin: A hormone which stimulates production of red blood cells and is used to treat anemia caused by chronic diseases.
TPA: A thrombolytic agent or "clot buster" medicine. TPA may be used as treatment for acute ischemic stroke (stroke of sudden onset caused by a clot blocking blood flow to part of the brain).
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