high blood pressure diet

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  • LeanMeanFitnessMachine
    LeanMeanFitnessMachine Posts: 659
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    Become a vegetarian, I'm not joking. All cholesterol is from animal products, all of it. Therefore if you want to reduce your cholestoral, eliminate animal products. That doesn't mean you have to become a vegan per se, but it could mean that. And the higher prices you pay for veggies pay off longterm. You can spend the money on medical care, or on veggies. Also, I don't miss being an ominivore, it's an amazing feeling to be a vegetarian. My energy level has never been higher and my health has never been better. Read the book The China Study. It's all about the very health issues you are describing. Good luck. I"m truly sorry you are having these issues, I really am. But know this, better to find the high cholestoral now, than heart disease later. It's not too late to turn things around for yourself.
    Okay, having high cholesterol and having high blood pressure are 2 different things, you can have 1 without the other, though some people have both. Cholesterol - our bodies MAKE cholesterol because it's a vital component of some hormones and the covering around nerves. Eating cholesterol-containing foods can influence the level of blood cholesterol so eating less animal products would be good, IF you had a cholesterol problem. The OP has high blood pressure. Reducing weight and getting some exercise would be a great start PZ. All the best.

    THANK YOU. You know what you're talking about.
  • crisnis
    crisnis Posts: 83 Member
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    Sodium is huge factor in reducing blood pressure! It's a must cut down item for people with high blood pressure - it's amazing how much sodium is in items we purchase without realizing it... often items that are marked "low fat" or "lite" have more sodium than the original version to make up for the loss of flavor from the fat reduction. Be mindful of your sodium intake - processed foods are killer. 2300mg a day should be the limit for everyone 1500mg a day for folks with high blood pressure. One teaspoon of table salt has 2300mg of sodium - so that's pretty impressive. Try salt substitutes and getting flavor from other spices - lemon juice is great for adding a bit of tang without the salt.
  • firedragon064
    firedragon064 Posts: 1,090 Member
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    Google DASH diet.
  • aoede
    aoede Posts: 30 Member
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    Ugh. Reducing your sodium intake will not necessarily reduce your blood pressure or may only reduce it slightly (just like reducing animal products has not been shown to reduce cholesterol).

    If you want information on the effect of food you eat on blood pressure, the Cochrane Collaboration is a good place to look to find out if something is media hype or not (they summarise scientific studies on the issues), but the best thing to do is speak to a doctor or a dietician. I would not be getting critical medical advice from these forums.

    http://summaries.cochrane.org/CD004022/short-term-studies-show-that-in-people-with-elevated-blood-pressure-low-salt-diets-lead-to-useful-drops-in-blood-pressure-but-overall-harms-or-benefits-are-not-known

    Good luck.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,020 Member
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    Become a vegetarian, I'm not joking. All cholesterol is from animal products, all of it. Therefore if you want to reduce your cholestoral, eliminate animal products. That doesn't mean you have to become a vegan per se, but it could mean that. And the higher prices you pay for veggies pay off longterm. You can spend the money on medical care, or on veggies. Also, I don't miss being an ominivore, it's an amazing feeling to be a vegetarian. My energy level has never been higher and my health has never been better. Read the book The China Study. It's all about the very health issues you are describing. Good luck. I"m truly sorry you are having these issues, I really am. But know this, better to find the high cholestoral now, than heart disease later. It's not too late to turn things around for yourself.
    Okay, having high cholesterol and having high blood pressure are 2 different things, you can have 1 without the other, though some people have both. Cholesterol - our bodies MAKE cholesterol because it's a vital component of some hormones and the covering around nerves. Eating cholesterol-containing foods can influence the level of blood cholesterol so eating less animal products would be good, IF you had a cholesterol problem. The OP has high blood pressure. Reducing weight and getting some exercise would be a great start PZ. All the best.

    THANK YOU. You know what you're talking about.
    Both of you have a very simplistic view of dietary cholesterol. For starters, eating dietary cholesterol is neither good or bad, it's just cholesterol. :smile:
  • Grinonneau
    Grinonneau Posts: 3 Member
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    Becoming a vegetarian is a great idea. I've done it and brought my blood pressure into the normal range and have been taken off medication. It might seem difficult to do and it is in the beginning but you'd be surprised what you can do with beans, tofu and things like falafel. It will not be more expensive and in the long run will save you tons of money while preserving your health!
  • jaabee11
    jaabee11 Posts: 322 Member
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    I don't think staying on meds and eating whatever you want to is a good option. Not even a little. high cholestrol is the path to heart disease. While reducing salt is helpful, it is NOT the best solution. The BEST solution is no animal products.

    I don't think it's quite that simple. A good friend of mine has been a vegetarian all his life, he is in his late 50's. He has extremely high and dangerous blood pressure and is on medication for it.
    He is not overweight and quite fit.
    There are many elements to HBP and to lowering it.
    The op should talk to the doc and get advice on her particular situation.

    Mine is coming down with losing weight, watching my sodium & generally eating healthier but my doc feels because of genetics I will prob always have to be on a tablet.
    We are all different.
  • ausped
    ausped Posts: 58 Member
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    I have been on blood pressure meds for a while now. After loosing 94 pounds, I am still on meds. I eat cleanly, have lowered my sodium, rarely eat processed foods and am still on meds. Some people are more prone to HBP than others I think.
  • SharadaRose
    SharadaRose Posts: 69
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    I eat most anything. I have had high blood pressure for over 30 years. In my case it is genetic. Stay away from high sodium or any salt content, stay away from processed foods. I eat a lot of made from scratch foods and fruits and veggies with no salt. I substitute a shot of vinegar or lemon juice for salt or seasoning. There are a lot of salt-free alternatives out there.

    Perfect!!
  • manjingirl
    manjingirl Posts: 188 Member
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    I have been on blood pressure meds for a while now. After loosing 94 pounds, I am still on meds. I eat cleanly, have lowered my sodium, rarely eat processed foods and am still on meds. Some people are more prone to HBP than others I think.
    You raise a very good point. The causes of both high blood pressure and high cholesterol are varied, and the solutions equally so. Anyone with these problems should always discuss their management options with their doctor/s.

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