Keeping blood pressure at a healthy level often requires developing lifestyle changes, including eating a healthy diet. In general, the diet needs to be low in fat, salt and cholesterol. Eating a well-balanced vegetarian diet can help when managing blood pressure, but eating an unhealthy vegetarian diet can shoot blood pressure up too high. Before deciding to go vegetarian to manage blood pressure, talk with a health care provider to establish a well-balanced food plan based on personal needs.
Identification
There are three main types of vegetarians. Lacto-ovo vegetarians do not consume meat, poultry or fish, but do eat dairy products and eggs. Lacto vegetarians do not consume meat, poultry, fish or eggs. The strictest form is called vegan, in which no animals or animal products are consumed. Vegans eat no dairy products and even foods such as honey, which comes from bees, is off limits. In recent years a new title, flexitarian, has become popular. A flexitarian is someone who does not fully adopt vegetarian eating but does limit meat, fish or poultry. People become vegetarians for many reasons: some for animal rights and for health, such as managing or preventing cancer, obesity and heart disease. According to the American Dietetic Association, vegetarians and even vegans of all ages can get all the protein, vitamins and nutrients they need from a well-planned diet.
Benefits
A diet to control high blood pressure must limit salt, fat, cholesterol and caloric intake, and healthy vegetarian diets tend to be low in all of the above. In fact, vegetarians tend to have a lower risk of obesity, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and some forms of cancer, reports the American Heart Association. A vegetarian diet that is high in a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes that are prepared in a healthy way can help to bring high blood pressure numbers down or prevent high blood pressure from developing. The diet should focus on foods that are high in fiber and phytochemicals such as beta carotene, vitamin C, folic acid and vitamin E. While more research is needed, phytochemicals appear to have antioxidant or hormone-like actions that can help to lower the risk of many diseases. Eating fruits and vegetables of many colors is a good way to get all the body needs.
Sodium
One key component to managing high blood pressure is to reduce salt intake, because salt causes the body to retain fluids, which drives up blood pressure. Since all forms of vegetarianism allow salt, vegetarians need to stick to the recommended daily intake of not more then 2,500 mg per day if healthy and no more then 1,500 mg per day if high blood pressure is present, states the National, Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Vegetables, soups, beans, nuts and other canned, frozen or processed vegetarian foods can be high in sodium. It is important to read nutrition labels and know how much sodium is in a serving of food. Preparing vegetarian meals at home with fresh ingredients is the best bet to keep sodium levels down.
Fat and Cholesterol
Too much fat and cholesterol in the diet can lead to plaque buildup along the blood vessel walls, which causes the blood vessels to become hard and narrow, which in turn raises blood pressure levels. Healthy vegetarian foods can become unhealthy if prepared the wrong way. Cooking with certain oils, butter, margarine, shortening and salad dressings can add too much saturated fat and calories to the diet. Consuming whole milk, cheese and too many eggs can add fat and cholesterol. The Cleveland Clinic suggests that everyone should look for low-fat, -cholesterol and -calorie versions of all foods and stick to unsaturated forms of fat, such as olive or canola oil. Even vegetarians need to limit cholesterol intake to no more then 300 mg per day and fat intake to no more then 25 percent to 35 percent of total daily caloric intake. In addition, caloric intake needs to be monitored as well. Eating too many calories of healthy foods will eventually pack on the pounds.
