If you have high blood pressure, you should eat like this!

Author: Xue Qingxin, registered dietitian

Reviewer: Zhang Yu, researcher at Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Hypertension is a very common disease. The "Report on the Nutrition and Chronic Disease Status of Chinese Residents (2020)" shows that the prevalence of hypertension among residents aged 18 and above in my country is 27.5%, which means that 3 out of 10 people may suffer from hypertension.

However, many people do not take high blood pressure seriously, thinking that "taking some blood pressure medicine will be fine" or "just paying more attention will be fine". In fact, it is not that simple! You should know that high blood pressure is one of the main causes of cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease and stroke. Every year, there are 2.6 million deaths from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases caused by high blood pressure in my country!

Therefore, hypertension should be given enough attention. Actively preventing and treating hypertension can greatly reduce the risk of death. The National Health Commission has issued the "Guidelines for Dietary Treatment of Hypertension in Adults (2023 Edition)". Let's talk about it in detail, what to eat when you have hypertension.

1. Which foods should be controlled?

●Reduce sodium and increase potassium : Sodium salt is the main source of sodium ions in our daily diet. 75% of the sodium in our daily diet comes from cooking salt and some high-sodium condiments. But it should be noted that excessive sodium intake increases the risk of high blood pressure. According to the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022 Edition)", each person needs to control the salt intake to less than 5 grams per day.

In addition, increasing potassium intake in the diet is more beneficial for controlling blood pressure. People with normal kidney function can choose high-potassium, low-sodium salt, which has the same saltiness as normal sodium salt.

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● Eat less processed meat : Processed meats have a high salt content, which is not conducive to blood pressure control, such as bacon, ham, bacon, sausage, salami, luncheon meat, etc. People at risk of high blood pressure are advised to eat less of these foods.

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● Eat less foods high in saturated fatty acids : Excessive intake of saturated fatty acids can increase blood lipids and serum cholesterol levels, thereby increasing the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke in hypertensive patients. Common foods high in saturated fatty acids include fatty meat, pork belly, animal oil, butter, palm oil, coconut oil, fried foods, animal offal, fish roe, etc.

●Others : In addition to the above, people at risk of high blood pressure should also pay attention to drinking less or no alcohol, eating less added sugar, not drinking sugary drinks, and eating less or no overly spicy and irritating foods. In addition, drinking strong tea and strong coffee is not recommended.

2. Eat enough of these foods!

●Foods rich in potassium : Adequate potassium intake is beneficial for controlling blood pressure. Foods rich in potassium include mushrooms such as yellow mushrooms, bamboo fungus, hazel mushrooms, coprinus comatus, and button mushrooms; whole grains such as bran, highland barley, buckwheat, quinoa, oats, millet, chickpeas, red beans, and mung beans; and vegetables such as mugwort, red carrot tops, green radish tops, kale, bamboo shoots, kale, spinach, lettuce leaves, spring bamboo shoots, and colored peppers.

● Foods rich in calcium : The "Guidelines for Adult Hypertension Diet (2023 Edition)" mentioned that most Chinese residents currently do not consume enough calcium, and it is recommended that patients with hypertension increase their calcium intake appropriately. To supplement calcium, in addition to drinking 300 to 500 grams of milk every day, you also need to eat more soy products. It is recommended to consume 15 to 25 grams of soybeans per day, which is the amount of 1 handful of soybeans, equivalent to 1 fist of tofu silk/tofu skin, or 2 pieces of dried tofu, or 1 fist of northern tofu.

In addition, some green leafy vegetables are also rich in calcium, such as rapeseed, Chinese cabbage, red carrot tops, dandelion leaves, sweet potato leaves, fennel, beet leaves, etc.

● Foods rich in magnesium : Magnesium can dilate the peripheral vascular system and counteract the blood pressure-raising effect of high sodium. Recommended foods include bran, wheat germ, buckwheat, quinoa, black rice, cooked cashews, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, and roasted hazelnuts.

3. Three good habits in life!

●Don't stay up late : During normal sleep, our blood pressure will drop. If you stay up late at night or don't get enough sleep, your blood pressure will remain high for a longer period of time. Staying up late frequently and sleeping less than 7 hours a day will increase the risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and obesity.

● Quitting smoking : Studies have shown that smoking is positively correlated with dynamic blood pressure and arteriosclerosis index. In other words, the higher the frequency of smoking and the longer the smoking history, the higher the dynamic blood pressure value of hypertensive patients and the greater the arteriosclerosis index. Quitting smoking can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and it is strongly recommended that hypertensive patients quit smoking.

In addition, people who do not have high blood pressure should also quit smoking as soon as possible to prevent it. Not only should they quit smoking themselves, but they should also stay away from secondhand smoke.

● Exercise more : Studies have shown that regular exercise is very helpful in controlling blood pressure. It is recommended to do continuous aerobic exercise, intermittent aerobic exercise, strength training, and combined exercise, which can significantly lower blood pressure. Among them, aerobic exercise and combined exercise (alternating aerobic exercise and strength training) are more effective than simple strength training.

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The mechanism by which regular exercise can lower blood pressure may be related to factors such as exercise reducing obesity, improving insulin sensitivity, reducing oxidative stress and improving endothelial function.

The "Dietary Guidelines for Adults with Hypertension (2023 Edition)" recommends that in addition to daily activities, people should have 30 to 60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity 4 to 7 days a week. Aerobic exercise can be done every day, such as jogging, brisk walking, swimming, aerobics, cycling, etc.; anaerobic exercise is best done every other day, such as dumbbells, elastic bands, push-ups, etc.

References

[1]https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/sleep.htm

[2] Chen Xuehai. Correlation analysis of the effects of smoking on ambulatory blood pressure and arteriosclerosis index[J]. Medical Information, 2019, 32(17): 102-103, 106.

[3] Liu Quanqing, Liu Min. Research progress on the effects of different forms of exercise on essential hypertension[J]. Chinese Journal of Sports Science and Technology, 2021, 57(12): 82-91.