High blood pressure is a serious condition that increases your risk of a heart attack or stroke. Controlling your blood pressure requires getting regular exercise, managing stress, quitting smoking and eating a healthy diet. While it is important to limit cholesterol and fat intake, it is just as important to get adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals such as potassium, magnesium and calcium as they all help to regulate the activity of your heart. If you have high blood pressure and are concerned about your diet, speak with your physician. He can make recommendations based on your personal health.
High Blood Pressure
Your heart is responsible for delivering the blood and oxygen your body needs to survive and carry out activities. You must have an adequate amount of calcium, potassium and magnesium in your body for your heart muscle to function properly and to maintain fluid balance. Too much or too little of any of the above can affect your blood pressure and your health. Since high blood pressure can exist without ever causing any symptoms, it is important to check it regularly. Then, changes to diet can be made before complications arise.
Potassium
If you eat a high salt diet you may be more likely to retain fluid and this increase in fluid, places pressure against the blood vessel walls which raises your blood pressure. While the first step in lowering your blood pressure should be to reduce sodium intake, it is also important to make sure you are getting enough potassium, because potassium blunts the effects of sodium, according to the American Heart Association. A general goal is to get about 4,700 mg per day; good sources include potatoes, spinach, beans, bananas, oranges, melons, prunes and many other foods. A cup of prune juice has around 700 mg, a papaya has about 780 mg, and a cup of melon or banana has around 650 mg. It is important to discuss supplements with a physician, because too much potassium can be harmful and supplements may interact with other medications you are taking.
Calcium
Calcium is important for many functions in the body. It helps keep your teeth and bones strong, supports muscle contraction and nerve transmission, helps your blood to clot and plays a role in regulating your heartbeat. While the exact mechanisms are not well understood, it appears that not getting enough calcium increases the risk of developing high blood pressure, reports Colorado State University. Adults up to age 50 should consume 1,000 mg per day and those over 50 need 1,200 mg daily. Dairy products such as a cup of milk or yogurt can provide 300 to 400 mg. Green leafy vegetables are also rich and can contain 100 to 200 mg per cup. As with potassium, too much calcium is not healthy and supplements should only be taken under medical supervision.
Magnesium
Magnesium also plays a role in managing blood pressure because it helps regulate the levels of calcium and potassium. Given this, an adequate intake of dietary magnesium may decrease the risk of high blood pressure especially in women, reports the University of Maryland Medical Center. Foods rich in magnesium include tofu, legumes, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, wheat bran, Brazil nuts, soybean flour, almonds, cashews, blackstrap molasses, pumpkin and squash seeds, pine nuts, and black walnuts. A general recommendation is that adolescent and adult males should get 270 to 400 mg daily and adolescent and adult females need 280 to 300 mg daily. Too much magnesium can also be dangerous and supplements can interact with other medications being taken so always check with your physician first.
