You Can Eat Foods That Lower Blood Pressure

By Paul Johnson

If you have high blood pressure then you need to pay attention to the food and drinks your body consumes. Certain things should be avoided if you want to keep your blood pressure down.

Drinking alcohol occasionally may not be detrimental to blood pressure, but drinking it a lot is. Alcohol has been known to have a detrimental effect on your blood pressure, and can raise it. High blood pressure damages the walls of your blood vessels, which in turn elevates your blood pressure even more. If you drink excessively, this can cause serious blood vessel difficulties and make your high blood pressure even more difficult to treat.

You can also have more complications if you have high blood pressure and drink a lot of alcohol. Small amounts of alcohol usually have a protective effect on your heart, but only your doctor can tell you is this is healthy for you. It may be true that you can consume a small amount of alcohol to actually help your blood pressure, but your own history is what determines this. Your doctor may decide that it's best that you don't have any alcohol at all when you treat your high blood pressure.

Excessive salt is another thing that you should cut out of your diet if you have high blood pressure. Of course, too much salt isn't good for anyone (even those with normal blood pressure), but it can increase your already high blood pressure if you already have a problem with it.

If you already have high blood pressure, consuming excess salt is probably forbidden on your diet. Even if your blood pressure is optimal, too much salt can still be detrimental to your health. A good way to begin to adjust your salt intake is to make sure you cook without salt altogether, and then taste your food before you add any. In general, opt add no more than about a half a teaspoon of table salt to your food on a daily basis, and avoid pre-salted foods such as processed junk food like potato chips or pretzels, or even some canned products such as soups and tomato products.

Saturated fats like trans fats are bad for your blood vessels and your heart. Your circulatory system can be damaged when you eat a lot of fats. You need to have a diet that is not full of these types of fats. The foods you should stay away from include fast foods, fried foods, cakes, and sugars. Trans fats are also in red meats, canola oil, and olives. The best meats for you to consider are meats like fish and chicken.

If you already suffer from high blood pressure, trans fats and other "bad" fats can place your cardiovascular system under even more stress. In addition, if you eat dairy products, you should opt for low-fat or no fat dairy products. Full fat dairy products can be stressful to your body and increase your blood pressure, since they contain saturated fats.

If you have high blood pressure, eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as fish. Eat modest amounts of dairy products and meat, and include some sources of monounsaturated fats in your diet, such as moderate amounts of nuts, canola oil, or olive oil.

If you have high blood pressure, the food you eat can have a significant impact on it, either positive or negative. If you eat foods high in saturated fat or salt, you could be raising your blood pressure without even being aware of it. Excess alcohol consumption, too, can cause your blood pressure to go up. What you eat can have a direct impact on your blood pressure, so make it a positive one and eat foods that lower blood pressure.

About the Author:

The author, Paul Johnson, often writes on topics like Foods That Lower Blood Pressure. For more fine articles and videos, take a few seconds to visit Blood Pressure - FYI