Your risk for heart disease, kidney disease and stroke increases when your blood pressure is above normal ranges, and a healthy diet can help you manage your blood pressure. Tomato paste provides many nutrients that are essential for regulating blood pressure, and it is a versatile product that can be part of a balanced diet.
Potassium and Sodium
Potassium is essential for maintaining a healthy blood pressure, and tomato paste is among the most concentrated dietary sources, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy adults should get at least 4,700 mg potassium per day, and a cup of tomato paste has 2,657 mg. Tomato paste with added salt has 2,070 mg sodium per cup, so choose low-sodium tomato paste instead. A high-sodium diet raises your blood pressure, and healthy adults should have no more than 1,500 mg per day.
Other Nutrients
A cup of tomato paste provides 11 g dietary fiber, or 44 percent of the daily value, and a high-fiber diet may help you control your blood pressure, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. Vitamin C may lower your blood pressure if it is already high, and tomato paste has 57 mg vitamin C, or nearly 100 percent of the daily value. Magnesium is another essential nutrient for regulating your blood pressure, according to the Produce for Better Health Foundation, and tomato paste has 110 mg per cup, or 28 percent of the daily value for this mineral.
Suggestions
Use tomato paste to make tomato sauce for spaghetti, lasagna or other pasta dishes, and use whole-wheat pasta, instead of refined pasta, to increase your intake of dietary fiber and magnesium. Tomato paste is a nutritious choice for thickening soups, stews and chili recipes, and you can make these dishes healthier by using extra vegetables for more fiber and vitamin C. Add olives or olive oil for extra flavor, texture and monounsaturated fats, which may also lower blood pressure, according to the Mayo Clinic.
DASH Diet
Each quarter-cup of tomato paste counts as a serving of vegetables, and you can use tomato paste as part of a Dietary Approaces to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet. This pattern of eating may help to lower your blood pressure, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A 2,000-calorie DASH diet meal plan includes four to five servings of vegetables per day. Fruits, nuts, beans, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean proteins are also part of the diet.
References
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010; January 2010
- Produce for Better Health Foundation: Fruits and Veggies: More Matters: Key Nutrients in Fruits and Vegetables
- Mayo Clinic; MUFAs: Why Should My Diet Include These Fats?; Katherine Zeratsky; November 2010
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Vitamin C; Jane Higdon; January 2006
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Dietary Fiber; Jane Higdon; December 2005
