People with high blood pressure need to reduce salt, refined carbohydrates, bad fats, and increase fiber, potassium and magnesium.
An unbalanced diet is the cause of high blood pressure, promoting disease progression. Master, Doctor Nguyen Anh Duy Tung, Nutrihome Nutrition Clinic System, notes the following 5 nutritional principles for patients.
Limit sodium
High sodium intake leads to acute hypertension by promoting water retention, increasing circulating volume and putting additional pressure on blood vessel walls.
Sodium is abundant in table salt, accounting for 40% of the weight of this spice. To reduce sodium, it is necessary to cut down on the salt content in the diet for people with high blood pressure.
The maximum total sodium intake that people with high blood pressure can consume per day is 2,300 mg (equivalent to 5.75 g of table salt). However, ideally, people with high blood pressure should only consume less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day (equivalent to 3.75 g of table salt).
In addition to table salt, sodium is also found in many other foods such as cheese, poultry, processed foods (bacon, pizza, sausage), canned foods and salted foods (dried foods, fish sauce, pickled vegetables).
People with high blood pressure need to limit salt and bad fat intake, and have regular health check-ups. Photo: Freepik
Limit refined carbohydrates
When consuming foods rich in refined carbohydrates, blood glucose (sugar) levels increase. This stimulates the body to accumulate excess fat, increasing the risk of being overweight, obese, and promoting the progression of hypertension.
People with high blood pressure need to limit their consumption of foods rich in refined carbohydrates (sweets, soft drinks, energy drinks) or refined grains (white rice, pasta, bread, vermicelli, rice noodles, pho).
Limit bad fats
Patients should limit their intake of saturated fats (found in animal or poultry fat) and trans fats (found in industrial cooking oils). These fats contain high levels of cholesterol. Blood with high cholesterol becomes thicker, forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood, leading to high blood pressure.
Excessive consumption of these fats also increases the risk of atherosclerosis, impeding blood circulation. This leads to a gradual increase in blood pressure over time and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Increase fiber-rich foods
Increasing dietary fiber intake significantly improves blood pressure in patients. Fiber in fruits and vegetables can help limit the absorption of bad fats (LDL cholesterol) and triglycerides, thereby supporting blood pressure control.
Foods rich in fiber, such as fruits and vegetables, are also often high in nitrates. Once digested, nitrates are converted into nitric oxide (NO), a compound that has natural vasodilating properties, improving the elasticity of smooth muscle in the blood vessel walls and helping to regulate blood pressure.
Prioritize foods rich in potassium and magnesium
Potassium controls blood pressure by encouraging the kidneys to excrete water, preventing excess water from accumulating in the circulatory system. Potassium also helps regulate blood pressure by controlling the electrical signals in the heart muscle to regulate heart rate.
Meanwhile, magnesium helps relax blood vessel muscles and supports the heart muscle, the circulatory system distributes blood effectively without overworking, causing high blood pressure.
Some foods rich in potassium include green leafy vegetables (spinach, cabbage, celery), root vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes), fruits (bananas, oranges, coconut water). Some foods rich in magnesium include ocean fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel), nuts (almonds, cashews, sesame seeds) and whole grains (barley, oats, brown rice).
Some natural nutrients such as GDL-5 (extracted from South American sugarcane pollen) have the ability to regulate the activity of HMG-CoA reductase enzyme and increase cell receptor activation. Thereby, it helps reduce total cholesterol, reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and control high blood pressure.
Dr. Tung said that adjusting the diet is important but does not replace the treatment regimen from the doctor. Patients need to have regular health check-ups and take medication as prescribed. The diet also needs to be individualized for each person, so you should go to a nutritionist for specific advice.
Kim Ly
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