High blood pressure affects millions of Americans, but many of us don’t even know we have it. That’s because high blood pressure—also known as hypertension—often has no symptoms. The condition makes your heart work harder than it should and can cause serious problems, including heart disease, stroke,and kidney failure.
Making healthy lifestyle choices, such as losing weight if you’re overweight, can help keep your blood pressure under control. It’s also important to follow a healthy diet that limits the amount of sodium you consume. Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you have to restrict yourself to bland meals. In fact, there are all kinds of delicious foods that can help lower your blood pressure.
DASH to lower your blood pressure
Following the DASH eating plan can lower your blood pressure. DASH—short for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension—focuses on adding nutrient-rich foods like fruits and vegetables to your diet.
A National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) study found that people who added fruits and vegetables to a typical American diet had lower blood pressure than those who followed a typical American diet alone. Better yet, those on the DASH diet lowered their high blood pressure even more and reduced their LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.
What’s the DASH eating plan?
DASH is a wholesome, high-fiber diet that focuses on healthy foods you’ll find at the grocery store. The basic idea is to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and nuts. Say yes to poultry, seafood, and fatty fish like salmon, while cutting back on red meat, processed foods, tropical oils, and sweets.
The DASH eating plan can also help you consume less sodium (or salt), which is known to contribute to high blood pressure. Most of us consume far more sodium than we should. According to the latest dietary guidelines, adults who are trying to lower their blood pressure should consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day.
Be sure to check the sodium content on Nutrition Facts labels, and when you eat out choose foods that are lower in sodium.
Foods that fight high blood pressure
Working more DASH foods into your meals can help lower your blood pressure. Add colorful veggies to soups and salads. Choose whole-grain breads and pastas. Substitute ground turkey for ground beef. And snack on fresh fruits.
Add these 10 power foods to your DASH diet:
- Avocados
You can stuff avocados with almost anything (diced chicken breasts, tomatoes, low-fat cheese) and bake them in the oven.
- Tilapia
Sauté it on the stove or bake it in the oven. Tilapia taco Tuesdays could become your new dinnertime tradition.
- White beans
Choose no-salt-added canned beans and add them to a salad.
- Kiwifruit
For an easy, healthy snack, slice a kiwi in half and eat it with a spoon straight from the skin.
- Pork tenderloin
Season it with garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, and sage.
- Quinoa
Add quinoa to side dishes, soups, and salads.
- Kale
Baby kale is a great base for a garden salad.
- Sweet potatoes
For a healthy twist, try adding a baked sweet potato to your smoothie.
- Peaches
Homemade peach salsa is sure to be a hit at your next dinner party.
- Red bell peppers
The possibilities are endless: fajitas, stir-frys, soups, salads, pastas, curries.
Savor the benefits of healthy eating
The DASH eating plan includes a wide variety of nutritious, delicious foods. Even if you don’t have high blood pressure, DASH can help you eat a balanced diet and live a healthier life.
FAQs
Eat Salty Foods
Foods with high salt content can elevate your blood pressure. Good sources of salt include olives, cottage cheese, and canned soup or tuna. You can also add table salt or sea salt to your meals, depending on your preference.
What is the best food to prevent high blood pressure? ›
6
- Eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
- Limiting sugar-sweetened beverages and desserts.
- Limiting foods high in saturated fat.
- Consuming fat-free or low-fat dairy products.
- Eating fish, poultry, beans, nuts, and vegetable oils.
Eat Salty Foods
Foods with high salt content can elevate your blood pressure. Good sources of salt include olives, cottage cheese, and canned soup or tuna. You can also add table salt or sea salt to your meals, depending on your preference.
How to reduce BP naturally? ›
Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure
- Balance nutrients. Go for less sodium (under 1,500 mg per day) and more potassium. ...
- Put probiotics on your side. Eating food that contains probiotics—consumable live bacteria—has been linked to healthier blood pressure. ...
- Lose even a little weight. ...
- Move more. ...
- Relieve stress.
The top fruits for lowering blood pressure include bananas, apples, pears, apricots, grapes, raisins, kiwis, mangoes, watermelon, pomegranate, plums, prunes, avocado, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, tomatoes, citrus fruit, berries, and more.
How can I bring my BP down quickly? ›
Tricks to Lower Blood Pressure Instantly
- Meditate or focus on deep breathing. Meditation and breathing exercises can help you relax, which slows your heart rate and lowers your blood pressure.
- Reduce your stress levels. ...
- Take a warm bath or shower.
If your blood pressure is elevated and you want to see an immediate change, lie down and take deep breaths. This is how you lower your blood pressure within minutes, helping to slow your heart rate and decrease your blood pressure. When you feel stress, hormones are released that constrict your blood vessels.
What lowers BP fastest? ›
The fastest ways to safely lower blood pressure include:
- Doing regular exercise.
- Limiting alcohol.
- Stopping smoking.
- Taking your medication as directed.
- Cutting back on salt.
- Drinking more water.
- Eating a banana a day.
- Reducing stress.
A 60-second trick to lower blood pressure immediately is to take a deep breath and try to relax. Stress and anxiety can raise your blood pressure, so taking a moment to calm down can help lower it. Learn breath exercises that slow your heart rate and promote relaxation. Drink some water.
Do bananas lower blood pressure? ›
The Bottom Line. Bananas are a nutritious and tasty option for helping lower blood pressure. Loaded with essential nutrients like potassium, fiber and vitamin C, bananas offer several benefits for cardiovascular health. Their potassium content counterbalances sodium intake, promoting blood vessel relaxation.
Make at least one of your daily vegetable servings a dark leafy green like arugula, cabbage, kale or spinach for potentially greater blood pressure benefits. A serving of leafy greens is 1 cup of raw greens or ½ cup cooked greens.
Is peanut butter good for high blood pressure? ›
One of the main fats in peanut butter is oleic acid. When substituted for other fats in your diet, oleic acid helps maintain good cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. Managing these levels in your body can lower the risk of heart disease. Peanut butter also contains omega-6 fatty acid.
What are good snacks for high blood pressure? ›
Instead of snacking on chips or sweets, eat unsalted pretzels or nuts, raisins, low-fat and fat-free yogurt, frozen yogurt, unsalted plain popcorn with no butter, and raw vegetables.
What is the number one food that causes high blood pressure? ›
Salty foods. High sodium consumption can elevate blood pressure. Many people eat too much sodium without realizing it. Highly processed foods and fast foods usually contain excessive amounts of sodium, often more than the 2,300 milligrams a person should consume daily.
