Nutritional therapy for high blood pressure

Nutritional therapy for high blood pressure

Changing lifestyle habits is essential for preventing high blood pressure. For the care of patients with high blood pressure, individuals who are overweight or obese should aim to reduce their body weight by 10 kilograms on average, which can reduce systolic blood pressure (pressure when the heart beats) by 5-20 millimeters of mercury. For those who are within a normal weight range, maintaining a healthy weight is important.

Maintaining a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5-22.9 kg/m² is recommended.

Reducing intake of high-sodium foods.

Regular physical activity or exercise 3-4 times per week.

Following the DASH diet is recommended.

Choosing to consume foods rich in vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy products, and low-fat milk products, while reducing consumption of high-fat foods.

Limiting alcohol intake to no more than 2 drinks per day for men and 1 drink per day for women.

Limiting consumption of tea and coffee.

Quitting smoking and reducing stress are important measures.

Sodium is a type of mineral that helps to balance fluids in the body, regulate heart rate, and affect blood pressure. It can be found naturally in foods such as meat, rice, and vegetables, in small amounts. However, most people consume too much sodium from condiments such as salt, soy sauce, fish sauce, seasoning powder, and processed foods like sausages, ham, and canned foods such as pickled vegetables, salted eggs, tofu, dried shrimp, and salted fish.

For individuals with high blood pressure, an appropriate amount of sodium intake should not exceed 2,000 milligrams per day, as this can reduce blood pressure by 2-8 millimeters of mercury. Patients who consume a DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet along with limiting sodium intake may have better control of blood pressure than those who only limit sodium intake.

Examples of the sodium content in foods:

• 1 cup of rice contains 20 milligrams of sodium
• 240 milliliters of milk contains 120 milligrams of sodium
• 1 slice of bread contains 130 milligrams of sodium
• 2 tablespoons of cooked lean pork contain 23 milligrams of sodium
• 30 grams of sausage contain 200 milligrams of sodium
• 2 tablespoons of cooked pork contain 30 milligrams of sodium

Examples of the sodium content in condiments:

• 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder contains 815 milligrams of sodium
• 1 teaspoon of fish sauce contains 104 milligrams of sodium
• 1 teaspoon of ketchup contains 30 milligrams of sodium
• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce contains 238 milligrams of sodium
• 1 teaspoon of yellow bean sauce contains 237 milligrams of sodium
• 1 teaspoon of salt contains 2,300 milligrams of sodium