Diet Tips to Lower Blood Pressure

By: Katie Boswell, MS, RD

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High blood pressure has been known to increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, and other health complications. A healthy lifestyle of exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and diet can help reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure. When it comes to your diet, the best one to follow would be a dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet, or similarly, the Mediterranean diet. A Mediterranean diet includes a variety of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, herbs and spices, olive oil, some cheese, and limited alcohol intake (one glass of red wine daily).

Listed below are more specific dietary changes you can implement to help reduce the risk of high blood pressure.

1. Include fresh produce (fruits and vegetables)

Consuming more fresh produce has numerous health benefits, one being that they are naturally lower in sodium. They also are rich in antioxidants that are anti-inflammatory. Additionally, many fruits and vegetables are high in potassium, which can help to balance the effects of sodium when it comes to your blood pressure. Please check with your doctor if you have kidney issues, as you may need to actually reduce or limit your potassium intake. There are many options for potassium-rich produce including bananas, sweet potatoes, potatoes, tomatoes, oranges, beans, avocados, spinach, and pumpkin.

2. Limit sodium intake

You should aim to limit your sodium intake to 2,300 mg per day or less. There are many ways to reduce the amount of salt in your diet. One way is to eliminate the use of salt when cooking food. Instead, try using salt-free herbs and spices like basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme, cinnamon, or garlic. You can also replace pre-packaged or prepared foods with fresher ingredients and produce that do not have a lot of added salt preservatives. The more you increase your intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and cook your own meals, you are less likely to consume excess amounts of sodium.

3. Consume healthy fats

Unsaturated fatty acids, especially Omega-3s, are considered healthy fats. While we need both Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids in our diet, we often consume more Omega-6s than we need and not enough Omega-3s. It’s important to know which foods are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids:

      • EPA/DHA Sources (preferable form): fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, trout) and seaweed or algae contain DHA
      • ALA Sources: chia seeds, ground flax seeds, hemp seeds, and walnuts
      • Some foods are also fortified with Omega-3s if listed on the label such as eggs, milk, or yogurt

4. Adequate hydration

Staying hydrated is important in maintaining healthy blood pressure. Aim for 8-10 cups of water a day or 2-2.5 liters. Another way to estimate your hydration needs is to take your weight in kilograms and multiply it by 30ml. For example: 65 kg x 30 ml = 1950 ml of water per day. Clear or light-yellow urine is also a good indication of proper hydration unless you have a medication that alters the color. Try to limit your intake of caffeine, sugary beverages, and alcohol. 

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