How to control gestational hypertension?

During pregnancy, expectant mothers may experience many physical discomforts. The chance of developing high blood pressure during pregnancy is also very high. According to clinical data, at least two out of ten people will suffer from gestational hypertension. Gestational hypertension not only causes pregnant women to feel various discomforts, but also brings certain harm to the fetus. Therefore, when high blood pressure is found during pregnancy check-up, it must be treated in time. Controlling blood pressure is a manifestation of responsibility for yourself and your baby. Experts say that pregnant mothers may be able to control blood pressure by reducing the intake of high-energy substances, controlling calories and weight, and reducing salt intake.

The normal blood pressure range is systolic pressure less than 120 and diastolic pressure less than 80, but due to various reasons that can affect blood pressure, systolic pressure between 120 and 139 and diastolic pressure between 80 and 89 are normal. If the systolic pressure is greater than 140 and the diastolic pressure is greater than 90, it falls into the category of hypertension. Your blood pressure is stage 1 hypertension, which is mild hypertension and requires treatment, otherwise there will be various serious complications in the future.

How to control pregnancy-induced hypertension

1. Control heat and weight

Excessive energy intake during pregnancy can easily lead to obesity, which is an important risk factor for gestational hypertension. Therefore, the amount of food should be properly controlled during pregnancy. It is not an uncontrolled eating of "as much as you can eat" but the amount of food should be adjusted based on the normal weight gain during pregnancy. Especially for pregnant mothers who are overweight before pregnancy, try to eat less or no candy, snacks, sweet drinks, fried foods and high-fat foods. It is advisable for pregnant mothers to not exceed 12 kilograms during the entire pregnancy.

2. Reduce saturated fat intake

The energy ratio of dietary fat should be controlled at around 25%, and should not exceed 30% at most. In addition, the intake of saturated fat should be reduced, and the intake of unsaturated fat should be increased accordingly. That is, eat less animal fat and replace it with vegetable oil, using about 20 grams of cooking oil per day. This not only provides the fetus with the essential fatty acids needed for growth and development, but also increases prostaglandin synthesis, which helps eliminate excess fat.

3. Prevent insufficient protein intake

Poultry and fish protein can regulate or lower blood pressure, and soybean protein can protect the cardiovascular system. Therefore, eating more fish, poultry and soy products can improve blood pressure during pregnancy. However, pregnant mothers with abnormal renal function must control their protein intake to avoid increasing the burden on their kidneys.

4. Ensure calcium intake

The Chinese Nutrition Society recommends that the daily calcium intake during early, middle and late pregnancy, as well as during lactation, is 800 mg, 1000 mg, 1200 mg and 1200 mg respectively. Pregnant mothers should ensure that they drink milk every day. Milk and dairy products are rich in easily absorbed calcium and are good foods for calcium supplementation. Low-fat or skimmed dairy products are preferred. Studies have shown that increasing dairy product intake during pregnancy can reduce the incidence of pregnancy-induced hypertension. Pregnant mothers should also eat more soybeans, soybean products, seafood, etc. Soybeans and soybean products are not only high-quality proteins, but also foods rich in calcium and should be consumed every day.

5. Salt intake should be moderate

If you consume too much salt, it will easily lead to water and sodium retention, which will increase the blood pressure of pregnant mothers, so you must control your salt intake.

It is generally recommended that pregnant mothers should consume less than 5 grams of salt per day, which helps prevent pregnancy-induced hypertension. Don't consume too much soy sauce. 6 ml of soy sauce is approximately equal to 1 gram of salt. If you are accustomed to salty tastes, you can use some potassium salt instead of sodium salt, which can improve the taste of low-salt cooking to a certain extent. You can also use onions, ginger, garlic and other ingredients to season the food.