Salt and pepper are both common condiments in restaurants and at home, but they have very different effects on your blood pressure. While you may benefit from avoiding the salt shaker, you may be able to use pepper to help control your blood pressure. Remember that sometimes dietary modifications are not enough to achieve a healthy blood pressure, and your doctor may need to prescribe other treatment.
If you have high blood pressure, or hypertension, you are at higher risk for heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. Some ways to promote a healthy blood pressure include exercising regularly, with your doctor's approval, avoiding smoking and tobacco use and reducing your stress levels, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Another potentially beneficial step for your blood pressure is to follow a diet that emphasizes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, reduced-fat dairy products, lean proteins and spices, such as black, white or cayenne pepper.
Sodium
Too much sodium can cause high blood pressure or prevent you from lowering your reading.
Pepper is nearly free from sodium, with no more than 2 g per tablespoon of white, black or cayenne pepper. Healthy adults should have no more than 2,300 mg sodium per day to prevent hypertension; individuals with high blood pressure should not have more than 1,500 mg per day, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Potassium
Each tablespoon of black pepper has 92 mg potassium; cayenne pepper has 107 mg potassium and white pepper has only 5 mg potassium per tablespoon. Potassium is essential for controlling your blood pressure. Healthy adults should have at least 4,700 mg per day, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines. Many kinds of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, fish and beans are excellent sources of potassium.
Weight Control
Obesity increases your risk for developing high blood pressure, and extra pounds can prevent you from lowering your blood pressure if you are already hypertensive, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Pepper adds flavor without adding many calories to a variety of dishes with lean protein, such as fish, poultry, shellfish and tofu. Add pepper to salads or cooked vegetables and reduce the amount of high-calorie cream or butter sauces that you would otherwise use.
References
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010; January 2010
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Spices and Herbs
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Dietary Fiber; Victoria Drake; August 2009
- Mayo Clinic; High Blood Pressure (Hypertension); March 2011
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Hypertension; Steven Ehrlich; September 2008
