High blood pressure: What foods should be eaten?

This is an automatically translated article.

One of the effective measures to support people with high blood pressure should follow a healthy and reasonable diet. So people with this disease should eat, what should not eat and how to eat. This article will provide more detailed information to help people with high blood pressure can apply and follow.

1. High blood pressure and its effects on human health

High blood pressure - a chronic disease that occurs when blood flows in the arteries along with high pressure causing a lot of pressure on the heart along with serious complications related to cardiovascular disease, such as stroke brain, myocardial infarction...
High blood pressure can occur under the following main types: Primary hypertension or primary hypertension occurs when there is no specific cause. And people with secondary hypertension often account for up to 90%. Secondary high blood pressure is associated with certain medical conditions, such as kidney disease, heart valve disease, or some endocrine-related disease. High blood pressure during pregnancy can occur during pregnancy and cause symptoms of preeclampsia...
High blood pressure causes many human health effects: High blood pressure affects the heart According to statistics, up to 95% of deaths from cardiovascular disease are caused by high blood pressure. Or cause damage to the brain, including a stroke, a dangerous complication of high blood pressure. Or damage to the kidneys... Moreover, high blood pressure can cause complications such as brain complications causing stroke or hemiplegia / total body paralysis,... Or heart-related complications can be can involve coronary arteries, heart failure that can lead to shortness of breath or complications with the kidneys related to damage to the vascular system due to high blood pressure leading to kidney failure...

2. The importance of nutrition for high blood pressure

High blood pressure is a serious threat to the health of the patient and increases the risk of diseases with leading mortality such as stroke, aneurysm, or cognitive decline... More dangerous for people with high blood pressure, in the early stages they have no signs or symptoms to screen for the disease. However, if you adopt a reasonable diet and healthy lifestyle, you can prevent this dangerous disease. So what should people with high blood pressure eat and what should they not eat?
2.1. In addition to foods that maintain blood pressure, there are also many foods that can affect and make blood pressure more severe. So people with high blood pressure should also avoid certain foods.
Salt. or sodium content in salt are classified as the cause of high blood pressure and heart-related diseases. In table salt, the sodium content is about 40%. So if you use salt, it can lead to harmful effects on health. Because when the amount of salt in the body increases excessively, it is possible to retain more water to remove other beneficial salts from the body. According to the recommendations of the American Heart Association, experts recommend that the daily sodium content should be less than 1,500mg and should limit the use of canned foods because the salt content in these products accounts for about 75%. as announced by the US Food and Drug Administration. Ham or bacon. Although cold meat or bacon is quite convenient to use, the salt content in these processed meats is quite high. Because in the production process, the ingredients are marinated with spices and salt to preserve. So cold meat, bacon is not a healthy food for people with high blood pressure. According to statistics, each serving of cold meat about 60 grams can contain up to 500 mg of sodium or more and this content greatly exceeds the body's sodium needs. Convenience food. Processed foods, including pizza, are quite high in salt. Because to maintain the characteristic flavor of pizza when cooked, manufacturers often add a lot of salt to this product. Moreover, when using a combination of cheese, bacon, and ketchup, the salt content in this dish increases. It is estimated that a serving of frozen cheese or meat pizza contains more than 700mg of sodium, which is much higher than needed. The thicker the pizza crust, the more cheese and the higher the salt content. Therefore, people with high blood pressure or disease prevention should not use this food.

Types of pickles. Most preserved foods contain a certain amount of salt and are higher in volume than a person needs a day. Because salt helps prevent the decay of food. Besides salted meat products, pickled and canned vegetables are also products with high salt content. One piece of pickles can contain up to 390 grams of sodium. Therefore, people who have signs of high blood pressure or have a disease or want to prevent disease should not use pickled vegetables. Street. Although too much sugar in the body can cause overweight and obesity. However, the higher the amount of sugar in the body, the higher the blood pressure. And high blood pressure is quite common in people who are overweight or obese. According to the recommendation of the American Heart Association, women should limit the amount of added sugar in the body and do not exceed 6 tablespoons of sugar, equivalent to about 24 grams per day. For men, no more than 9 tablespoons equivalent to 36 grams of sugar per day. Foods high in saturated fat and trans fat. Although high-fat foods are not a direct cause of high blood pressure, consuming a lot of these fats can increase bad cholesterol levels and affect blood pressure. pressure of each person. In addition, the combination of high bad cholesterol and increased risk of high blood pressure can predispose you to heart-related diseases. Therefore, people with high blood pressure should not eat foods that contain saturated fats and trans fats. In addition to unprocessed foods or processed foods that should not be used by people with high blood pressure, you should also avoid using beverages, especially alcoholic beverages. If you consume a moderate amount of alcohol each day, drinking can have health benefits. However, when drinking too much alcohol can cause a sudden increase in blood pressure. Moreover, alcohol is also a cause of increasing the risk of diseases such as cancer.... Besides, the intestines can also affect the effectiveness of antihypertensive drugs. Moreover, alcohol is also high in calories, so the liver has to perform a higher metabolic rate than normal and can cause weight gain.

2.2. High blood pressure foods should be used in meals People with high blood pressure can control or prevent the disease with foods that help maintain blood pressure. So what is good for high blood pressure?
Foods belonging to the group of citrus fruits. For this type of fruit, which is quite popular in Vietnam, including: oranges, tangerines, grapefruits, lemons, .. all work in the process of lowering blood pressure. The composition of these fruits is quite rich in vitamins, minerals, along with food-derived compounds that help keep you a healthy heart and reduce risk factors related to blood pressure. In a study investigating the effects of citrus fruits on blood pressure carried out in 101 Japanese women with a duration of 5 months, it was demonstrated that daily use of lemon juice along with Walking exercise was significantly correlated with a decrease in diastolic blood pressure. The mechanism of this process is due to the amount of citric acid and flavonoids in lemons have an effect on this activity. However, studies have also shown that in addition to orange or grapefruit juice helping to lower blood pressure, this juice also interferes with the absorption of common antihypertensive drugs. Therefore, if you use this food to help lower blood pressure, you should talk to your doctor before using it to avoid drug-food interactions.
Salmon and other fish contain healthy fatty acids. Salmon and other fatty fish, including mackerel, are rich in omega 3 fatty acids that help reduce inflammation and also lower blood pressure. Moreover, these foods are also rich in vitamin D which is great for helping the body absorb calcium to fight diseases like depression as well as regulate blood pressure. According to the results of a study conducted on 2036 healthy people, the concentration of omega 3 fats in the blood was highest when both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly lower than those with this fat concentration in the blood. low content. In addition, the study found that higher omega 3 intake was associated with a reduced risk of high blood pressure again.

Berry. Berries including blueberries, strawberries, .. contain a lot of nitric oxide compounds, which have the ability to help dilate blood vessels, and at the same time promote blood circulation to help lower blood pressure. Furthermore, the composition of blueberries and strawberries, including the antioxidant anthocyanin, has been shown to increase nitric oxide levels in the blood while also reducing the production of vascular constrictors, thus reducing blood pressure levels. According to a study on the effects of apricots in more than 34,000 people with hypertension, high levels of anthocyanins can reduce the risk of high blood pressure by 8% compared to those with lower levels. Carrot . This tuber is quite popular in everyday meals. However, in the composition of carrots, there are many phenolic compounds with substances such as caffeic, p-coumaric... that help dilate blood vessels and reduce inflammation, so it can limit the process of hypertension. With carrots can be used raw or cooked. However, if using unprocessed carrots by heat, it will be more beneficial for cases related to blood pressure. Tomato. Products made from tomatoes are quite rich in nutrients, including potassium, with carotenoid pigments, lycopene that have many benefits for the heart. Eating foods rich in lycopene can help reduce risk factors for heart disease as well as blood pressure. Broccoli . Plant-based foods rich in minerals calcium, potassium, magnesium and vitamin C help reduce levels of cardiovascular disease and prolong life. Eating four or more servings of broccoli per week may help reduce the risk of high blood pressure. Legumes such as lentils, chickpeas... have high nutritional content, especially fiber and plant-based protein. And many studies show that consuming legumes can help lower blood pressure. According to a review of the study with 554 people given legumes, there was a significant reduction in blood pressure.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.