Certain foods increase your blood pressure and health risks. Blood pressure is a measurement of the force blood flow applies inside your arteries and consists of two numbers. Systolic pressure, the top number, represents the maximum pressure blood exerts on your arteries when your heart pumps blood, whereas diastolic pressure, the bottom number, represents the minimum pressure when your heart is resting. Consult your doctor about foods that cause high diastolic blood pressure.
High Soidium Foods
Sodium increases your blood pressure and risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. The new USDA Dietary Guidelines recommends you eat no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day, Americans ages 2 years and older consume more than 3,400 mg of sodium daily. Foods highest in sodium content include processed meat, canned soups, condiments, snack foods and marinated products. Scientists at the University of Hong Kong found increased excretion of sodium is related to diastolic blood pressure in patients with high blood pressure, but not in individuals with normal blood pressure, according to research they published in the "Quarterly Journal of Medicine" in March 2000. This finding demonstrates that diastolic blood pressure is a better indicator of sodium intake and risk of hypertension than systolic blood pressure.
Sweeteners
Sugar-sweetened beverages increase both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Scientists at Imperial College in London, England, found increased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with increased blood pressure, whereas increased consumption of diet beverages is associated with decreased blood pressure in adults, according to research they published in "Hypertension" in April 2011. The results demonstrate that increased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with increases in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, yet there is a stronger association between sugar-sweetened beverages and diastolic blood pressure than systolic blood pressure. The scientists also found increased dietary consumption of the sugars fructose and glucose is associated with increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Saturated Fat
Foods containing saturated fat, such as meat, increase your risk of heart disease and blood pressure, including diastolic blood pressure. Scientists at Turku University Hospital in Finland found higher saturated fat intake is associated with higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure in children, according to research published in "Hypertension" in June 2009. The scientists conclude that restriction of saturated fat from infancy through 15 years of age decreases childhood and adolescent blood pressure. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure is higher among meat eaters in adults ages 20 to 78 years of age compared with fish eaters, vegetarians and vegans, according to research published in "Public Health Nutrition" in October 2002.
Fast Foods
Fast foods are high in sodium, sugar and saturated fat, which increase your diastolic blood pressure. Even fast food meals with vegetables, such Chinese food, is loaded with these blood pressure boosting substances. The USDA Dietary Guidelines emphasizes eating nutrient-dense foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables and avoiding processed and fast foods for a healthy blood pressure.
References
- MedlinePlus; Blood Pressure; May 23, 2011
- Cleveland Clinic; High Blood Pressure and Nutrition; Oct. 27 2010
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
- U.S. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention; Sodium: The Facts; 2010
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration; FDA Issues Statement on IOM Sodium Report; 2010
- "Quarterly Journal of Medicine"; Diastolic Blood Pressure Is Related to Urinary Sodium Excretion in Hypertensive Chinese Patients; B.M.Y. Cheung, et al.; March 2000
