High blood pressure, or hypertension, increases your risk for heart disease and stroke, but you may be able to change your diet to prevent or treat hypertension. Yogurt is a nutrient-dense food, and it can be part of an overall balanced diet for lowering blood pressure. Sometimes changing your diet is not enough to lower your blood pressure, and your doctor may recommend other approaches, such as medication.
Potassium
Adequate potassium intake is necessary for lowering your blood pressure or maintaining normal values, and yogurt is a good source, with more than 500 mg per cup. The recommended amount for adults on a 2,000-calorie diet is at least 4,700 mg, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Other good sources of potassium include many kinds of fruits, vegetables and beans, and these foods also provide dietary fiber, which can lower blood pressure, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center.
Sodium
Monitor your intake of yogurt if you are on a low-sodium diet because each 8-oz. container has about 175 mg of sodium. A high-sodium diet can cause hypertension or prevent you from reducing your high blood pressure. Healthy adults should have no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, and you should have no more than 1,500 mg per day if you already have high blood pressure.
Calcium and Magnesium
Yogurt may help lower your blood pressure because of its high amount of calcium, with each cup providing about 300 to 450 mg of calcium, or 30 to 45 percent of the daily value. Inadequate calcium intake can cause high blood pressure, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. Another mineral for a healthy blood pressure is magnesium, and a cup of yogurt has about 43 mg, or 10 percent of the daily value.
Recommendations
Yogurt does not provide all of the nutrients you need to lower blood pressure, so eat it as part of a balanced eating pattern such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet. This plan may lower high blood pressure, and a 2,000-calorie DASH diet includes two to three servings of dairy products per day, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This diet provides additional nutrients for your blood pressure, such as dietary fiber from fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans, and healthy fats from nuts and vegetable oils.
References
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010; January 2010
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Dairy and Egg Products
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Calcium; Jane Higdon; April 2007
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Magnesium; Jane Higdon; August 2007
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Dietary Fiber; Jane Higdon; August 2009
