Diet Control and Hypertension

Diet Control and Hypertension

For people who are overweight or obese, it is essential to modify their lifestyle for the prevention of high blood pressure. A 10 kg weight loss can decrease systolic blood pressure by an average of 5-20 mm Hg. For those whose body weight is within the normal range, they should take care to maintain their body weight within these criteria to prevent

hypertension.

• Control body mass index in range of 18.5-22.9 Kg/m2
• Reduce eating foods with high sodium content.
• Exercise 3-4 times per week
• Eating in the form of the DASH Diet.

Eating a healthy diet that is high in vegetables, fruits, milk, and low-fat dairy products, while limiting foods high in saturated fat, is an important step to maintaining a balanced diet.

• Limiting alcoholic beverages. No more than 2 drinks/day for men and no more than 1 drink/day for women.
• Limit the consumption of tea and coffee.
• Quit smoking, reduce stress.

Sodium is an essential mineral that helps to balance fluids in the body and regulate the heart rate and blood pressure. Most people obtain the majority of their sodium intake from seasonings, such as salt, soy sauce, fish sauce, and seasoning powder, as well as processed and canned foods. For people with high blood pressure, it is recommended to keep their daily sodium intake below 2,000 milligrams. Doing so can reduce blood pressure by 2-8 mm Hg. Additionally,

following the DASH Diet along with restricting sodium intake can be even more effective for controlling high blood pressure than either one alone.

The amount of sodium in different types of food can vary greatly. For example, one ladle of steamed rice contains 20 milligrams of sodium, 240 millilitres of milk contains 120 milligrams of sodium, one slice of bread has 130 milligrams of sodium, two tablespoons of shredded pork contains 23 milligrams of sodium, 30 grams of pork sausage has 200 milligrams of sodium, and two tablespoons of cooked pork contains 30 milligrams of sodium.

One teaspoon of monosodium glutamate (MSG) contains 815 milligrams of sodium, 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce has 104 milligrams of sodium, 1 teaspoon of tomato sauce has 30 milligrams of sodium, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce has 238 milligrams of sodium, 1 teaspoon of salt has 2,000 milligrams of sodium, and 1 teaspoon of fish sauce has 500 milligrams of sodium. Additionally, 1 cube of broth (10 grams) contains 1,760 milligrams of sodium.