Chances are you know someone with high blood pressure, or hypertension. According to the Centers for Disease Control, almost 1/3 of all Americans suffer from hypertension, characterized by a blood pressure measuring 140/90 mmHg or more (normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mmHg). Another 1/3 have “pre-hypertension” with blood pressure falling between these 2 ranges. It is estimated that fewer than half of those diagnosed with hypertension have it under control.
Why the concern? Hypertension is high on the list of conditions that physicians and public health officials worry about because it is a leading cause of death and disability from heart attack, stroke and kidney disease. It is called the “silent killer” because you won’t feel it.
Hypertension has a genetic component, but cigarette smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, drinking more than a moderate amount of alcohol, and diet all play a role.
Physicians have long counseled their patients to eat less salt when hypertension is diagnosed, as salt is a major source of sodium in the diet which raises blood pressure in some people. Sodium can cause the body to retain water, increasing the pressure on blood vessels. A healthy sodium intake is considered to be 2400 mg sodium daily, which is the amount of sodium in 1 teaspoon of salt. Even if you don’t add much salt to your food, your intake may still be high from hidden sources in processed foods and from eating out. High end restaurants, fast food joints, and every place in between are renowned for liberal use of salt during food preparation.
Of course, when it comes to diet we really need to look at the diet as a whole rather than pointing the finger at individual nutrients. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables provides a diet high in potassium, a mineral which actually helps to keep blood pressure under control. Green leafy vegetables contain nitrates, another substance which reduces blood pressure1. Celery, spinach, Swiss chard, beets and arugula are particularly high in helpful nitrates.
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So if you’re hoping to keep your heart healthy, eat fewer high sodium foods. Minimize your intake of processed foods, ask chefs to modify the amount of sodium they use when cooking your meal, and avoid fast food restaurants. At the same time, be sure to eat at least 3 servings of fruit and 2 cups of vegetables every day.
For more details, check out the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet at http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/apr97/Dash.htm.
1Ashworth A et al (2015) High Nitrate Vegetable Diet Increases Plasma Nitrate and Nitrite Concentrations and Reduces Blood Pressure in Healthy Women Public Health Nutrition DOI 10.1017/S1368980015000038