6 Foods That Cause High Blood Pressure and How to Avoid Them.
Eating a healthy diet can lower your risk for high blood pressure. High blood pressure is the result of too much fluid in the blood vessels, which may lead to damage to various body organs. Preventing high blood pressure is important because it can lead to serious health problems, such as heart disease and stroke. Avoiding these high-risk foods can be helpful in preventing or lowering your risk for high blood pressure.
The List
of High Blood Pressure-Causing Foods
The following foods are high in sodium and should be avoided or limited if you have hypertension.
Refined grains: These are made of wheat, maize, oats, rice, barley, rye, and others.
Processed foods: These are usually high in sodium because they're preserved with salt.
Salty condiments: Ketchup is a great example of a condiment that's very high in sodium.
Canned vegetables: These usually contain a lot of salt as a preservative.
Cheese: Cheese is another food that's very high in sodium.
Canned soup: Canned soup is usually quite salty and should be consumed only sparingly or not at all if you have hypertension.
Eating too much salt
A diet high in salt may cause high blood pressure. Too much salt in the diet can lead to other health problems, such as heart disease. The recommended daily intake of sodium is 2,300 mg per day.
Too much alcohol
can lead to high blood pressure.
If you drink alcohol, it's important to limit your consumption so that it doesn't contribute to high blood pressure. You should drink no more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men. If you're not sure how much alcohol is in a drink, check the nutrition label on the bottle or ask your bartender.
As with most health risks, it's best not to start drinking in the first place. However, if you're going to enjoy an occasional alcoholic beverage, make sure you keep your consumption in moderation!
Sodium in processed food
Processed food is full of sodium, which is leading to the increase in high blood pressure. Think about all those fast-food burgers! They're usually drenched in salt before they hit the grill.
But there are other foods that are worse for you than fast food.
Traditional table salt has small amounts of iodine and other nutrients, but processed salt is stripped of these important minerals. This type of salt is often used in packaged foods like potato chips, pretzels, and crackers.
When you choose healthy alternatives to processed foods, it can be difficult to avoid consuming too much sodium. It's important to monitor your intake if you're trying to avoid high blood pressure because many cause it without people even realizing it.
Too little potassium
Potassium is an important nutrient that helps regulate blood pressure levels. It is found in foods like bananas, potatoes, and oranges. Too little potassium in the diet can lead to fluid retention and high blood pressure.
Too little calcium
Many people get too little calcium, which is an essential nutrient that helps maintain healthy bones and teeth. In addition, it also helps the heart and muscles to function properly. Calcium also helps regulate blood pressure—too little calcium can lead to high blood pressure.
In order to get the recommended daily intake of this important nutrient, try incorporating these foods into your diet:
- 1 cup of low-fat milk or low-fat yogurt
- 1 ounce of cheese
- 2 ounces of tofu
- 3 cups of collard greens
Conclusion
High blood pressure is a condition in which the pressure in the blood vessels is elevated. It can cause damage to the heart, brain, kidneys, and other organs, and increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other serious health problems. There are many ways to reduce your blood pressure, but the most important thing is to avoid the foods that are known to cause high blood pressure.
Learn more about what foods are known to cause high blood pressure in our list of 6 foods.