What to avoid when eating or drinking with high blood pressure (2024)

Avoiding overly processed foods, such as processed meats and canned soups, in favor of nutritious whole foods can help you keep your blood pressure in check.

Diet can have a major impact on your blood pressure, the force with which your blood pushes against the walls of your blood vessels.

High blood pressure, orhypertension, to influence48 percentof American adults. Hypertension can cause health problems over time, including heart disease and stroke.

Salty food in particular can cause high blood pressure. When you eat salt, your body retains more fluid, which increases your blood volume and pressure. Sugary foods and foods high in saturated fat can also increase blood pressure.

On the other hand, a heart-healthy diet can help you achieve and maintain healthy blood pressure.

If you have high blood pressure,American Heart Association (AHA)recommends eating enough:

• fruits
• vegetables
• lean proteins
• whole grain

At the same time, the AHA recommends limiting foods that can keep your blood pressure high, such as:

• Red meat
• salt (sodium)
• foods and drinks that contain added sugars

A heart-healthy diet plan isDASH diet, asAHArecommended to control blood pressure. DASH stands for 'dietary approaches to stop hypertension' and originated in1990'erne.

The diet is intended to be absorbed4.700 milligram (mg)of potassium per day while reducing sodium, which helps lower blood pressure. Studies show the diet is effective, with:Research evaluation 2020found that it lowered blood pressure in people with hypertension and in people without the condition.

The DASH diet includes eating:

• fruits likecalls,bananas, Instrawberry
• vegetables, such asbroccoli,green beans, Incarrots
• nuts, likealmonds and walnuts
• legumes and seeds, such askidney beans,lenses, Insunflower seeds
• whole grains, such as whole wheat pasta,Brown rice, Inoatmeal
• low-fat dairy, such as fat-free milk and low-fat cheese
• lean proteins, such as skinless chicken or fish

The number of servings of each food depends on your daily calorie needs.

On the other hand, the plan limits:

• foods high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats andpalm oil
• sugar-sweetened drinks
• sugary foods, such as maple syrup, candy, and jelly
• alcohol

A maximum intake is also established2.300 mgsodium per day.

Whether you follow a specific diet or not, certain foods and ingredients can raise your blood pressure or help keep it high. Limiting these foods can help control your blood pressure.

Salt or sodium

Salt, or specifically the sodium in salt, is onemajor contributorfor high blood pressure andheart disease. This is due to the way it affects the fluid balance in the blood.

Table saltis about 40 percent sodium. Some amounts ofsalt is important for health, but it's easy to overeat. ThatAHArecommends that you consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium – the equivalent of 1 teaspoon of salt – per day.

Most of the sodium in the American diet comes from packaged, processed foods and not from what you add to the table. Sodium can be hidden in unexpected places.

The following foods, known as the 'salty six', aremain contributorsfor people's daily salt intake:

• bread and rolls
• pizza
• sandwich
• cold cuts and cold cuts
• soup
• burrito's at taco's

Deli meat

Processed deli and lunch meatare often loaded with sodium. This is because producers brine, season and preserve this meat with salt.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) database, only two slices contain bologna910 mgof sodium. Contains a frankfurter or hot dog567 mg.

Adding other salt-rich foods, such as bread, cheese, various condiments and pickles, means that a sandwich can easily become very high in sodium.

Frozen pizza

The combination of ingredients in frozen pizzas makes them high in sugar, saturated fat and sodium. Frozen pizzas can be particularly high in sodium.

Cheese often contains a lot of sodium. Contains only two slices of American cheese512 mgof sodium. This is usually in combination with a salty or sugary pizza dough and crust, deli meats and tomato sauce.

To preserve the taste of the pizza after baking, manufacturers often add a lot of salt.

A 12-inch pepperoni pizza, prepared from frozen, contains3.140 mgsodium, which is well above the daily limit of 2,300 mg.

Try it as a substitutemaking pizzaat home with homemade dough, low-sodium cheese and your favorite vegetables as toppings.

Pickles

Salt is needed to preserve food. It prevents the food from rotting and keeps it edible longer.

The longer vegetables sit in the pickling and pickling liquids, the more sodium they absorb.

Contains a small pickled cucumber448 mgof sodium.

That said, there are reduced sodium options available.

Canned soups

Canned soups are simple and easy to prepare, especially when you are short on time or not feeling well.

But canned soups are high in sodium. Canned and packaged stock and broth may contain similar amounts. This means they can increase your blood pressure.

A can of tomato soup contains1.110 mgsodium, while a can of chicken and vegetable soup contains it2.140 mg.

Instead, try choosing low- or reduced-sodium soups, or make your own soup at home with fresh ingredients.

Canned tomato products

Most canned tomato sauces, pasta sauces and tomato juice are high in sodium. This means they can increase your blood pressure, especially if you already have high blood pressure.

Contains one serving (135 grams) of marinara sauce566 mgof sodium. Contains a cup of tomato juice615 mg.

Low or reduced sodium versions of most tomato products can be found.

To lower your blood pressure, choose these alternatives or use fresh tomatoes, which are rich in a so-called antioxidantlycopene. Fresh vegetables have many benefits for the heart.

Sugar

Sugar can increase your blood pressure in several ways.

Researchindicates that sugar – and especially sugar-sweetened beverages – contributes to weight gain in adults and children. Overweight and obesityIncrease the chancehave high blood pressure.

Added sugar can also contain onedirect effectabout raising blood pressure, although more research is needed.

In2019 surveyin women with high blood pressure reported that lowering sugar levels by 2.3 teaspoons could result in a drop in systolic blood pressure by 8.4 mm Hg and a drop in diastolic blood pressure by 3.7 mm Hg.

OfAHArecommends the following daily limits for added sugars:

• 6 teaspoons, or 25 grams, for women
• 9 teaspoons, or 36 grams, for men

Processed foods containing trans or saturated fat

To keep the heart healthy, it is best to reduce your intakesaturated fatsand avoidtransferred. This is especially true for people with high blood pressure.

Saturated fatalso risethe LDL cholesterol level in the blood.

Trans fats, which have been removed from processed foods since 2018, are particularly harmful to your health and arelinked topoor heart health, including an increased risk of:

• heart disease
• slak
• type 2 diabetes

Packaged, ready-to-eat foods often contain saturated fat, along with high amounts of sugar, sodium and low-fiber carbohydrates.

Saturated fat is mainly found in animal products, including:

• whole milk and cream
• butter
• Red meat
• chicken skin

OfAHArecommends reducing intake of both saturated fat and trans fat to maintain heart health.

One way to reduce your saturated fat intake is to replace certain animal foods with plant-based alternatives.

Many plant foods contain healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Examples of plant foods include:

• nuts
• glances
• olive oil
• avocado

According to a2015 survey, Full-fat dairy does not increase blood pressure.

Alcohol

Drinking too much alcoholcan increaseyour blood pressure.

If you have high blood pressure, your doctor may recommend that you reduce the amount of alcohol you drink.Research from 2017found a link between drinking less alcohol and lowering blood pressure in people who usually drank more than two drinks per day.

In people who do not have high blood pressure, limiting alcohol intake can help reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure.

Alcohol is also possiblepreventblood pressure medications you may be taking to work effectivelydrug interactions.

In addition, many alcoholic drinks contain a lot of sugar and calories. Drinking alcoholcan contributeto overweight and obesity, which can increase the risk of hypertension.

When you drink,AHArecommends limiting your alcohol intake to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.

If it is difficult to drink less, ask a doctor for advice.

To eatheart healthy foodcan actively lower your blood pressure, both in the short and long term. Generally these include:

• vegetables
• fruits
• whole grain
• fish and poultry
• nuts and legumes

Research shows that specific foods and minerals can also help with blood pressure.

For example,investigationsindicates that potassium lowers blood pressure in people with hypertension because potassium counteracts the effects of sodium.

Foods containing nitratescan reduceblood pressure, too, including beets andpomegranate juice. These foods also contain other heart-healthy components, including antioxidants and fiber.

When choosing canned or processed foods, choose reduced sodium, no sodium or no added salt.

The food you eat can affect your blood pressure, both positively and negatively.

Foods high in salt, sugar and saturated fat or trans fat can increase blood pressure and harm your heart health. Limiting these foods and replacing them with healthy options can help keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.

A diet full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins can help keep your heart healthy.

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