Using Food to Control Blood Pressure

More than 60 million Americans are taking prescription medications to control their high blood pressure—a chronic condition called hypertension. Blood pressure medications are vital because they help prevent serious complications of hypertension, including heart disease, strokes, and kidney failure. However, there is another avenue to reduce hypertension, and it goes right through your kitchen.

Making dietary changes is a method of lowering and managing high blood pressure. People in the early stages of hypertension sometimes find that dietary changes are enough to bring their blood pressure back to normal levels, eliminating the need for medications. For those already taking antihypertensive drugs, dietary changes can increase the effectiveness of the medications and forestall future dosage increases.

Let’s explore how changes to your diet can fight hypertension. We’ll also share a few tips from one of our Blue Cross VT employees on how to get started and stay on course.

Common Diets for Hypertension

The most common dietary change to control high blood pressure is simply cutting back on salt. Reducing sodium by not putting salt on prepared meals and eating low-sodium foods helps control blood pressure by lowering the amount of water retained by the body. With less water in your body, blood volume is decreased and that reduces pressure on blood vessel walls. Your heart also has to pump less, easing the strain on it.

The Mediterranean Diet is a popular choice for helping to control hypertension. The diet focuses on whole grains, fresh vegetables, lean proteins like fish, and healthy fats such as extra-virgin olive oil. With increased intake of potassium-rich foods—which flushes out sodium—and reduced consumption of high-sodium processed foods, following the Mediterranean Diet can reduce blood pressure readings for individuals with hypertension by as much as 4 mmHg.

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is frequently recommended by health care providers to patients with high blood pressure. The DASH diet focuses on foods rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium—minerals that are all important for reducing blood pressure. The diet also limits saturated fats and added sugars. People with hypertension who follow the DASH diet have been able to reduce their blood pressure readings by 8 to 11 mmHg.

A diet low in carbohydrates, like the ketogenic diet, can also lower blood pressure readings. The “keto diet” emphasizes eating fats from sources like nuts, seeds, and fish, along with proteins from meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy. Carbohydrates and sugars are strictly limited. A low-carbohydrate diet reduces blood pressure by decreasing insulin levels in the body. Lower insulin prompts the kidneys to excrete more sodium and water, which in turn decreases blood volume and reduces pressure on blood vessel walls. For people diagnosed with hypertension, following the keto diet can reduce blood pressure readings by 5 to 10 mmHG. A standard keto diet does have high amounts of saturated fats, which can negatively impact cholesterol levels. People with hypertension who want to use the keto diet should only do so under supervision of their health care provider.

Which dietary approach should you choose? A study published in the Annals of Family Medicine suggests that for people who are overweight and have hypertension, a very low carbohydrate diet can be more effective in reducing systolic blood pressure than the DASH diet. However, a diet is only effective if it is adhered to. The best diet for controlling hypertension is one that you feel you can stick with over the long term. Try out recipes from different diets to see which you like best, and then pick the diet that you’ll be able to sustain.

Before making changes to your diet, talk with your health care provider to be sure it will not harm your health. Do not discontinue taking your blood pressure medication without approval from your health care provider.

Quick Results

One of our communications specialists here at Blue Cross VT found that making a few simple dietary changes can have a quick impact on blood pressure levels.

Steve Larose had been consistently getting stage 2 hypertension readings (greater than 140/90 mmHg) on his home blood pressure monitor. With a family history of hypertension, Steve knew it was something he needed to get under control. Steve’s doctor prescribed blood pressure medication, which did lower his blood pressure some, but Steve was still getting readings indicating stage 1 hypertension (between 130 and 139 mmHg systolic and between 80 and 89 diastolic). He was ready to ask his doctor to increase the drug’s dosage, when the doctor suggested using a low carbohydrate diet along with the medication.

Steve was reluctant to make major changes, such as adhering to the keto diet, but was willing to make a few modifications, including:

• Eating eggs for breakfast several days a week instead of cereal
• On the mornings cereal is eaten, reducing the portion size by using a smaller bowl
• Slicing a bagel in half instead of eating a whole one
• Limiting consumption of chips, crackers, and other processed foods
• Snacking on low-carb alternatives like cheddar cheese, unsweetened nut butter, and hummus

Within two weeks of making the above dietary changes, Steve noticed that readings on his home blood pressure monitor were lower. In the months since, they have remained in the normal range (less than 120/80 mmHg) and there have not been any stage 1 hypertension readings. Steve remains on blood pressure medication for now but may ask his doctor to discontinue it in the future.

The key to success is to start with a few small changes, Steve says, rather than trying to make drastic diet modifications all at once. After you’ve been able to sustain a change for several months, consider making another one that builds upon the earlier win. For example, Steve is now trying to eliminate bagels completely from his breakfast menu.

If you occasionally eat more carbohydrates than usual, that’s okay, as they provide essential nutrients and are part of a healthy diet. To help yourself limit consumption in the future, consider not keeping certain foods at home.

Diet is a Powerful Tool

Many people with high blood pressure are unaware of it, because hypertension often has no apparent symptoms. It’s important to get your blood pressure checked at least once a year, either at your primary care provider’s office, a pharmacy, or with a home monitor (models are available for less than $50).

If you have high blood pressure, talk with your primary care provider about ways to get it under control. Your provider may recommend prescription medication or making lifestyle changes, including modifying your diet. Eating healthy is a powerful tool in fighting hypertension and a few simple changes can make a big difference. To find a registered dietitian in our provider network, you can use our Find a Doctor tool. To learn more about hypertension, check out our blog article on the impact of blood pressure on your heart’s health.