Diet for Hypertension

But it’s not just a salt, which increases the pressure. There are still a lot of products that help reduce pressure, or conversely, to increase. U.S. specialists from the National Institutes of Health and National Institute for the lungs, heart and blood even developed and tested a special nutrition program for people with high blood pressure. Abbreviated as it is called the DASH, which can be translated – “how to eat to stop hypertension.”

The essence of the program may seem familiar: low in fat in general, and especially low-fat saturated (animal), little cholesterol, lots of vegetables, fruits and dairy products with reduced fat, little meat, sweets and all the sweet. And also enough whole grains, fish, poultry and nuts. At first glance it seems that this diet for cardiac patients, which reduces cholesterol. And what is the pressure, after all, no cholesterol, no fat do not affect the pressure? These programs are really like, but here the emphasis on foods with a lot of potassium, magnesium and calcium and low – sodium (see table).

All these elements play a big role in the regulation of pressure. They are the opponents of Sodium, weakening its negative effect on the blood vessels. Therefore, they need a lot. A sodium – a little. Its maximum daily dose – 2400 mg. It contains 6 grams of salt (about 1 tsp.).

But even better is not more than 1500 mg – 2 / 3 tsp. It is important to understand that this is not only the salt you add when cooking yourself or with meals. This includes salt, which is already contained in finished products and semi-finished products. And since the producers for their salt do not regret, high blood pressure is better to put them in the forbidden list. Nutrition Program DASH has shown good results in tests when compared with normal diet without restrictions and with lots of fruit.

In hypertensive patients with pressure from 140/90 to 160/95 mm Hg. of Art. it reduced the top pressure by 11.4 mm Hg. of Art. and the lower – at 5.5. Very good numbers, and this means that some high blood pressure will be enough of one diet. As for those who need more medications and their dose of good nutrition can be reduced.