If you have high blood pressure, or hypertension, you are at higher risk for stroke, kidney disease or heart disease. In many cases, you can lower your blood pressure by improving your diet, and V8 vegetable juice, V8 V-Fusion drinks and V8 Splash drinks from Campbell's provide some beneficial nutrients for blood pressure. They have some drawbacks, too, so use them only in moderation as part of a healthy diet that your doctor has approved.
Potassium
A high-potassium diet can help you lower your blood pressure. The recommended daily value is 4,700 mg per day. Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of potassium, and V8 vegetable juice, V8 V-Fusion and V8 Splash products provide about 400 to 600 mg potassium per cup. V8 diet products are lower in potassium, with only about 100 mg per cup. Other good sources of potassium, and good choices for a diet to lower blood pressure, include beans, low-fat dairy products and whole grains.
Sodium
Be careful of the sodium content in V8 juice if you have high blood pressure because V8 vegetable juice has 420 to 480 mg sodium per cup. Healthy adults should have no more than 2,300 mg sodium per day, and you should not have more than 1,500 mg sodium if you already have high blood pressure, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Better choices are V8 low-sodium vegetable juice, V8 V-Fusion fruit juices or fruit blends with green tea or V8 Splash blends or smoothies, with no more than 200 mg per cup.
Dietary Fiber
A diet high in fruits and vegetables may help lower your blood pressure, and each 12-oz. bottle of V8 juice provides three servings of fruits and vegetables. However, V8 may not be as effective at lowering your blood pressure because it does not provide as much dietary fiber as whole fruits and vegetables. A cup of V8 vegetable juice provides only 2 g dietary fiber A high-fiber diet may lower your blood pressure.
DASH Diet
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet is an eating pattern that may lower your blood pressure, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This diet emphasizes fruits and vegetables, and V8 juice can help you meet these recommendations, although it does not provide all of the nutrients you need for a healthy blood pressure. The DASH diet recommends plenty of whole grains, legumes, dairy products and nuts to make sure you get enough magnesium, calcium and other essential nutrients.
References
- V8 Juice: Products
- V8 Juice: FAQs: V8 100 Percent Vegetable Juice
- V8 Juice: FAQs: V8 V-Fusion
- V8 Juice: FAQs: V8 Splash Juice Drinks
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010; January 2010
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Dietary Fiber; Jane Higdon; December 2005
