5 eating habits to help lower high blood pressure

People with high blood pressure should eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, yogurt and cut down on salt to better control their blood pressure.

High blood pressure occurs when the systolic blood pressure is ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure is ≥90 mmHg. Undetected or uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to many health problems such as heart attack, stroke, and heart failure.

Diet plays an important role in controlling blood pressure. Here are some eating habits that can help.

Eat lots of fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables not only provide potassium, calcium, magnesium and fiber, but also contain little sodium, which is good for people with high blood pressure. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) encourages people with high blood pressure to prioritize the DASH diet. This is a healthy eating method with 4-5 servings of vegetables and fruits per day.

In addition to fresh fruit, patients can use frozen, canned, dried, as long as no salt or preservatives are added. Simple ways to add fruits and vegetables to the diet are to eat potato toast with avocado, raw vegetables for breakfast; yogurt with berries, mushroom salad with green vegetables for snacks.

Eating lots of fruits and vegetables provides nutrients such as potassium, magnesium, and fiber to help control blood pressure. Photo: Freepik — Eating lots of fruits and vegetables provides nutrients such as potassium, magnesium, and fiber to help control blood pressure. Photo: *Freepik*

Prioritize whole grains

The DASH diet includes 6-8 servings of grains per day, prioritizing whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, whole-grain breads, and oatmeal.

Some simple whole grain recipes include brown rice porridge, oatmeal with raisins, and oatmeal porridge.

Increase milk, cheese and yogurt

Consuming dairy products (milk, cheese, low-fat or non-fat yogurt), about 2-3 times a day helps reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure indexes.

To increase the taste and add more fiber, patients can combine milk with oatmeal, yogurt with fruit and add cheese to whole grain toast.

Reduce salt

The American Heart Association recommends that people with high blood pressure maintain a sodium intake of 1,500 mg per day, equivalent to 2/3 teaspoon of salt, to help reduce the index.

Some foods that are high in salt include sandwiches, pasta, and other grain-based mixes like pizza, chips, crackers, and soup. For packaged foods, read the nutrition label and limit eating out. Cooking at home can help control sodium intake.

Choose lean meat instead of fatty meat

Lean meat is a good part of a balanced blood pressure diet. The USDA defines lean meat as having less than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, and less than 95 mg of cholesterol per 100 gram serving.

Lean animal proteins include skinless chicken breast, beef tenderloin, pork tenderloin, and lean turkey. These all provide high-quality protein and nutrients that help control blood pressure.

Bao Bao (According to Eat This Not That, Healthline )

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