Change Diet, Can Really Regulate Blood Pressure

Recently, experts at the Clinical Research Institute of Peking University have made a hit with a "Chinese heart-healthy diet," claiming that it can reduce the blood pressure of hypertension patients by 10 millimeters of mercury within a month without taking any drugs. Some netizens ask: My parents have high blood pressure, can you change the way of diet to reduce blood pressure? Some netizens asked: My blood pressure has been low, stand up dizziness, low blood pressure can also be used to solve the diet?

The key is to analyze the causes of abnormal blood pressure

Because high blood pressure can be caused by many things. If high blood pressure is caused by a poor diet, then diet changes can have a significant effect, and this is just the cause of the problem. If it's caused by something else, it can't be fixed entirely by diet. For example, high blood pressure caused by a tumor on the adrenal gland, or high blood pressure caused by cervical spondylosis, cannot be solved by changing the diet. For example, because of excessive mental pressure, emotional anxiety caused by blood pressure rise, or because of long-term insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders caused by blood pressure rise, it is difficult to completely change the way to solve.

Be in our country, because diet unreasonable people suffer hypertension is many.For example, the World Health Organization and the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese residents recommend consuming no more than 5 grams of salt per day. However, the average intake of salt for Chinese residents is more than 9 grams, and many people even consume more than 15 grams. Not only dishes contain salt, soup contains salt, and all kinds of staple food contains salt, even all kinds of snacks, fried goods, dim sum also contains salt, the total number is quite considerable.

In 2019, a study analyzed the relationship between cardiovascular and metabolic death in China and various dietary factors, in which excessive sodium intake was a significant cause of increased risk of death. In the new study, for example, people with high blood pressure who ate 6,000 milligrams of sodium a day (1,000 milligrams of sodium =2.54 grams of salt) were equivalent to 16 grams of salt! Each person in the study ate just 3,000 milligrams of sodium a day, the equivalent of 8 grams of salt, a cut in half. It's no surprise that with this aggressive salt reduction alone, blood pressure is lowered.

Diet does not change blood pressure by reducing salt alone

Reducing salt can lower blood pressure, so how do you get it? In addition to cooking skills, adding salt to the pot, using less salt, and using vinegar and spices appropriately to enhance the flavor, using low sodium salt is also an important measure. For the same amount of added salt, a 1/4 to 1/3 reduction can be achieved by using low-sodium salt and reduced-salt products. If you eat less salty soup, less salty staple food, and no salty snacks, you can easily achieve half the effect of salt reduction.

At the same time, the healthy diet greatly increased the supply of potassium, calcium and magnesium. Double the amount of potassium, calcium and magnesium by increasing the supply of vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains, plus drinking milk or yogurt every day. Potassium, calcium, and magnesium all have a pressure-boosting effect against sodium, and they work together to lower blood pressure even more.

The "Chinese heart healthy diet" also pays attention to fat control, reducing stir-fry oil, choosing low-fat meat and dairy ingredients, lowering the fat ratio and raising the proportion of whole grains. As a result, not only is fat intake reduced, but the supply of multiple B vitamins is increased, and dietary fiber is also increased. The cooking method of cooking more cold dishes and less stir-frying can reduce the pro-inflammatory substances in the diet, and also help to lower blood pressure and prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. In fact, this way of eating is not only good for patients with hypertension, but also good for preventing obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease, stroke, bowel cancer and other diseases.

The American Heart Association's 2021 Dietary Guidelines for heart health recommend increasing fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish, and poultry, moderate intake of low-fat dairy products, reduce red meat (especially processed meat), alcohol, salt, sugar, and saturated fat, eat less highly processed foods, and avoid sweetened beverages. These preventive advice are applicable to all people. Of course, in addition to eating, pay attention to getting a good night's sleep, keeping a good mood, not overtired, and at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week.

Low blood pressure or too much potassium

Most people with low blood pressure belong to the thin muscle type, and some people belong to the indigestion type. Due to the lack of nutrition for the daily body, poor blood circulation, weak muscle strength, especially prone to orthostatic hypotension, standing up will appear two eyes black phenomenon.

To improve these problems, you need to strengthen your nutrition supply while doing strength exercises to increase muscle mass and improve physical performance. In terms of diet, eat enough. Long-term diet to lose weight, serious lack of calories, is difficult to ensure muscle strength and blood circulation effect. Hypotensive people should ensure the supply of high-quality protein food, consciously increase meat, eggs, milk, in order to ensure the effect of exercise muscle building. Increasing the availability of red meat is especially important for people with mild anaemia.

People with low blood pressure can reflect on whether they are eating too much potassium and too little sodium. Some girls eat a lot of fruit every day, get a lot of potassium, but also eat too little salty food, especially in the summer to low blood pressure. At this time, it is very important to eat three good salty meals.

In a word, if there is a simple increase or decrease in blood pressure without other disease causes, it is best to ask nutrition professionals to analyze their diet and living habits to find out the irrationality. Consciously changing diet and moderate exercise can improve the high or low blood pressure and make the treatment effect better.

(The author is a registered dietitian and an associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University.)