More than 74 million adults over the age of 20 have high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association. High blood pressure -- a measurement of 140/90 or greater -- increases a person's risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney disease. It is, however, easily detected and controlled. Healthy lifestyle and diet habits can improve blood pressure, including a diet that decreases sodium intake.
DASH Diet
Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet is a low-sodium diet designed specifically to reduce blood pressure. People with high blood pressure following the DASH diet limit total sodium intake to 1,500mg a day. In addition to limiting sodium, the diet encourages the intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy foods. These foods contain high amounts of potassium, magnesium and calcium, nutrients known to reduce blood pressure. Overtime, people following the DASH diet can lower their blood pressure by eight to 14 points, according to MayoClinic.com.
The Mediterranean Diet
The heart healthy Mediterranean diet follows the eating and cooking practices of the people living along the Mediterranean Sea. In addition to reducing risk of heart disease, the Mediterranean diet has also been shown to reduce a person's risk of cancer, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. according to MayoClinic.com. As a low-sodium diet, it encourages the use of herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor food. The primarily plant-based diet emphasizes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes. It also recommends the use of monounsaturated fats, like olive oil, over animal fats like butter. People following the Mediterranean diet also eat fish and poultry a few times a week while limiting their intake of red meat to a few times a month.
Two Gram Sodium Diet
High intakes of sodium causes the body to retain fluids, increasing blood volume and blood pressure. The two gram sodium diet can help limit fluid retention and decrease blood pressure, according to the Ohio State University Medical Center. The diet recommends people begin by eliminating added salt to food during cooking and at the table. Even a small amount of salt can add a significant amount of sodium, for example one teaspoon of salt contains 2,300mg of sodium. The diet encourages label reading to find low-sodium food options. A low-sodium food item contains 140mg of sodium or less. The diet discourages the use of processed foods and instead recommends more fresh foods such as fresh meats, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy foods which are naturally low in sodium.
