Diet for Hypertension

Hypertension or 'High Blood Pressure' as it is more commonly known, is a silent disease wherein there are hardly any noticeable symptoms, but if left undetected and uncontrolled can cause severe damage to other organs in the body.

Hypertension can be kept under control by following simple diet and lifestyle changes. While it is a well-known fact that dietary sodium needs to be restricted in such cases, recent research also shows the importance of including adequate amounts of potassium and calcium in the diet.

A good way to reduce the quantity of sodium in the diet is to reduce the amount of added sodium (in the form of salt), and avoiding foods that are high in salt like pickles, chutneys, ketchups, salted nuts, salted breads and crackers/biscuits, other baked foods, packaged mixes and soups. When cooking, reduce the amount of salt required in the recipe by half and season it with herbs and lemon juice just before serving to make up for the taste. Include plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products in your daily diet.

Bringing down your weight as close to the Ideal Body Weight (IBW) puts less stress on the heart. A daily exercise regimen* can work wonders along with a suitable diet in controlling your hypertension.

(*before starting on an exercise routine, always seek approval from your physician).

Salt substitutes (low-sodium salts) can also be used based on your doctor's approval.

Diet for Hypertension