Effective Diet Tips For High Blood Pressure

If you have a high blood pressure, you need to bring it down to a healthy level. It affects millions of people and there are higher chances of it increasing as you age. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a condition where your blood pressure reading is over 140/90 mmHg.

It increases your risk of cardiovascular diseases, heart attack, kidney complications and stroke. Factors like obesity, high levels of stress, diabetes, smoking and a high- fat diet can lead to an increase in your blood pressure readings. There are some key diet changes that can help you control your blood pressure levels. Follow these effective diet tips in order to maintain your blood pressure at safe levels.

Diet Tips For Controlling High Blood Pressure

Cut Down On Sodium Intake

Salt contains high levels of sodium which is bad for your blood pressure. Most people consume more salt than is necessary. Reduce salt in your diet and replace normal table salt with low-sodium salt. Avoid processed and canned food as it contains a large amount of added salt. Instead, opt for healthier options like adding herbs to food to add flavor. Use more herbs and spices to boost flavor, or add lemon juice or vinegar to your food instead of adding salt.

Consume More Vitamin C Rich Food

Vitamin C helps make the walls of blood vessels stronger and resistant to wear and tear. This is important as it helps prevent narrowing of arteries which leads to high blood pressure.

Source: https://ufhealth.org/vitamin-c

Having a healthy amount of vitamin C everyday is very important as very little of it gets stored in the body and we need to replenish it frequently. Some of the vitamin C rich sources are lemons, oranges and gooseberries. You can also get a healthy amount from green leafy vegetables, tomatoes and berries.

Eat Oily Fish

Oily fish contains high levels of omega-3 compounds. These are beneficial to our body as they prevent your blood from turning too thick and sticky. Fish oils can help thin the blood which is very effective in bringing down high blood pressure levels. They also reduce high levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides, and are rich in good cholesterol which is essential for our body.

Best oily fish sources you can consume are tuna, salmon and sardines. Cook fresh fish and avoid canned ones as they contain too much added salt for preservation purpose. You can also consume fish oil supplements in the form of capsules, if you do not eat fish.

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Increase Soluble Fiber Intake

A fiber rich diet is essential to maintain healthy blood pressure levels. Soluble fiber helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels and brings down the high blood pressure readings. It helps eliminate cholesterol from the body. High levels of cholesterol lead to higher blood pressure levels, hence their elimination helps in controlling high blood pressure.

Source: http://thehealthyapron.com/2010/08/20/a-fiber-fortified-world/

Some of the best sources of soluble fiber are oats, lentils and pulses, apples, whole grains and beans. Start your your day with a bowl of porridge made with oats, or muesli, and bring your high blood pressure levels under control.

Limit Caffeine Intake

Caffeine is known to increase your blood pressure even if you don’t really have a high blood pressure problem. It could be due to the fact that caffeine blocks a hormone that keeps your arteries wide and allows the blood to flow freely. Also, adrenalin glands tend to secrete more adrenaline with higher intake of caffeine, which results in an increase in blood pressure. It has been found that people who are older or overweight, get more affected when they consume caffeine. Therefore, it is important to cut down on your caffeine intake in order to bring down your high blood pressure levels. Caffeine is present in coffee, tea, colas and even chocolates! Hence, it is important that you cut down on their intake.