High blood pressure is defined as the condition in which your blood courses through your veins at a higher pressure than is normal or recommended. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is measured through millimeters of mercury. The systolic pressure, or top number of a reading, is the pressure of your heart during a beat, or pump. The diastolic pressure or bottom number, is the pressure while your heart is at rest. Blood pressure medications can help reduce your high blood pressure to a more normalized reading of 120 over 80 or less. Some natural foods can affect your medicine and should be avoided. Consult your physician about your diet while on medication.
Grapefruit
Grapefruit products can negatively interact with a variety of high blood pressure drugs that end in the suffix "-pine," including felodipine, nimodipine and isradipine. Grapefruit juice and the whole fruit itself can make the hypertension medications work too well by increasing the absorption of the active ingredients. When you take a drug that absorbs more effectively than normal, you are at a higher risk for developing side effects of the medication. In the case of high blood pressure medicines, drinking grapefruit juice or eating your daily grapefruit for breakfast may cause your blood pressure to drop too low.
Alcohol
Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages while taking the hypertension medication called lisinopril. Lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor prescribed for a variety of heart conditions, including congestive heart failure as well as high blood pressure. Like grapefruit products, alcohol can lead to low blood pressure and can make you feel lightheaded, dizzy, nauseated and depressed.
Sodium
Sodium does not directly affect your high blood pressure medication, but consuming too many salty foods can undermine the effectiveness of your hypertension drug because the mineral increases your risk of high blood pressure. Some people are able to manage their high blood pressure through the reduction of dietary sodium alone, while others must resort to taking medications as well as adjusting their diet. The American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than 2,300 mg of sodium daily, but if you have high blood pressure and are taking medicine to control your levels, 1,500 mg of sodium daily is preferable.
DASH Diet
The DASH diet stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, and includes a variety of healthy components that will not affect your high blood pressure medicine. The focus of the DASH diet is to eat in a heart-healthy manner with the inclusion of whole grains, fresh produce, lean proteins and low-fat foods. Following a low-sodium eating plan also plays a role in the DASH way of life.
References
- University of Florida IFAS Extension;Using Medications Safely: Interactions Between Grapefruit Juice and Prescription Drugs; R. Elaine Turner et al.
- Drugs.com; Lisinopril; August 2009
- FamilyDoctor.org; High Blood Pressure Medicines; September 2004
- Colorado State University Extension; Diet and Hypertension; J. Anderson et al.; August 2008
