High blood pressure is a widespread issue nowadays, and if this condition is left untreated, it can lead to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and leads to target organ damage such as LVH, vascular changes, and retinal changes. If you ask health professionals, they will let you know the primary aim of managing or lower blood pressure is to prevent target organ damage and reduction of cardiovascular risk, and it requires a multi-prolonged approach. One thing people focus more on is drug therapy forgetting that non-pharmacological measures are also important when managing hypertension.
Over the years one question is very common among the patient, and that is about the foods to be avoided in high blood pressure. The vast majority of dietary recommendations for hypertension have resemblance and similarities to general healthy diet recommendations.
Following Foods should be avoided if you have High blood pressure:
- Alcohol
According to researches over the years, they have proven that the intake of alcohol can raise blood pressure directly and is unhealthy for hypertension patients. So, when a hypertensive patient consumes alcohol, it is advisable to keep it to two drinks a day. Also, it is better not to consume alcohol at all if your level rises considerably after intake.
- Salt
The fact that salt is essential for the body’s metabolism, consuming large amounts of salt can raise pressure levels in hypertensive patients. This is why they are advised to embrace a sodium-free diet to help keep their high blood pressure in check. Also, the fact that you are not a hypertensive patient does not mean you should consume food with a level of salt. Food with a high salt content can also contribute to heart diseases and reduce the quantity of salt used in food preparation is the best way to lower the amount of sodium you consume.
- Fats
Since the circulatory system in hypertension patients is already subject to high levels of stress, any additional stress can be devastating, and this means saturated fats, trans-fats in particular, can have negative effects on the blood vessels and the heart. The right high blood pressure food must include low levels of saturated fats and moderate levels of other fats.
- Frozen pizza
This is more like salt intake, but research found out that Pizza is one of America favorite food, so as a hypertensive patients note that pizzas can be a poor choice for you. The combination of cheese, crust, tomato sauce, and cured meats adds up to a lot of sodium. But for people with high blood pressure frozen pizza is especially dangerous. One serving of a frozen cheese or meat-and-cheese pizza can contain more than 700 mg of sodium, sometimes even more because manufacturers tend to add a lot of salt to maintain flavor in the pizza once it’s been cooked.
For some people, just avoiding some foods will be all they will need to lower their blood pressure. So, if this is the case with you, your doctor will have to administer blood pressure lowering medication.
