Blood pressure is a measurement of the force against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood throughout your body. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a symptom of many conditions. It is usually associated with heart disease, renal disease or diabetes and is caused by plaque restricting the flow of blood in the arteries. Several dietary approaches that can aid in the lowering of blood pressure involve increasing fiber and potassium while decreasing sodium intake.
Step 1
Choose fruits and vegetables that are low in sodium. Sodium causes your body to retain fluids, which can lead to increased blood pressure. Your doctor may suggest consuming somewhere between 1,000mg to 2,000mg of sodium per day, so this means checking the labels on everything you eat. Some low sodium fruits and vegetables include bell peppers, sweet potato, dried apricots, papaya, green onion, and broccoli.
Step 2
Look for fruits and vegetables with a high amount of potassium and fiber. Sodium and potassium have an inverse relationship in your body, so the more potassium you consume, the more sodium is excreted, which can lead to a reduction of blood pressure. Fiber helps to lessen blood pressure by reducing the amounts of plaque in your arterial walls and allowing blood to flow more freely through your body. Foods that are high in potassium include bananas, lima beans, broccoli, peas and cherries. Fiber can be found in whole grain oats and breads, beans, and most fruits and vegetables
Step 3
Watch for food and drug interactions. High blood pressure can be caused by a variety of disease states, all of which may have different medications associated with their treatment. For example, if you are being treated for heart disease, some medications are less effective when taken with grapefruit juice, or if you are being treated with a diuretic, you may also be taking a potassium supplement, in which case you don't want to greatly increase dietary consumption of potassium because too much can be harmful. For this reason, always discuss your dietary changes with your prescribing physician and your dietitian for a more personalized approach to managing your hypertension.
