Advices Blood Pressure High

Diet for hypertensive subjects

Amicomed
Amicomed
07/03/2022 · Reading Time: 2 minutes
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Prevention is linked to an appropriate diet for hypertensive subjects and healthy one!

Eating and hypertension

Adopting good and healthy eating habits is a fundamental step towards maintaining a healthy heart and controlling blood pressure.

Prevention starts in the kitchen

The World Health Organization and scientific societies for the treatment and prevention of hypertension recommend the choice of foods that are low in fats and salt, a diet rich in cereals, legumes, vegetables and fruit, and an effort to control body weight.

  1.  Avoid salt. A diet containing excessive amounts of salt can elevate blood pressure levels. Processed foods such as hamburgers, sausages, salty snacks, tinned meat or vegetables, stock cubes, sauces and packaged foods all contain high levels of salt, and should therefore be avoided, while choosing to consume more fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and fish instead. Simply removing salt from the diet for a month is sufficient to stop missing the taste of salt in foods.
  2. Reduce fat. Consuming high levels of fat (especially saturated fat found in animal products) can increase levels of cholesterol in the blood, which can in turn increase the risk of heart attacks. It is especially important to avoid meat and dairy with a high fat content.   
  3. Eat more fruit and vegetables. These foods contain substances that help eliminate free radicals from the organism, which can cause damage to the blood vessels. Fruit and vegetables also contain potassium, a substance that can lower blood pressure. 
  4. Keep an eye on the scales. Food is needed to provide the body with energy, and it is important not to eat more than you use up in a day. It is well known that in order to lose weight you must eat less calories than you burn. The best way to lose weight is to eat less and burn more calories by increasing the amount of physical activity. Beware of low calorie diets: we do not recommend that you begin a diet without consulting a doctor who can prescribe an adequate dietary regiment.

Did you know… ?

…for each kg of weight lost, blood pressure decreases by 1 millimeter of mercury?

Excess weight increases the effort required of the heart to pump blood to the body. Keeping your weight in check is an important factor in reducing the risk of hypertension and therefore of cardiovascular disease. Reduced blood pressure translates into a smaller risk of stroke, heart attack or other serious complications.

If blood pressure levels are only slightly elevated, eliminating excess weight can make blood pressure return to normal values.

 

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