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Whole foods that help control high blood pressure
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(AP Photo/April L. Brown)
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High blood pressure (HBP) generally doesn’t cause any symptoms. That’s why, if you’ve been diagnosed with it, you may be wondering why you don’t feel like there’s anything wrong with you.
However, HBP is a condition you can’t ignore. It can lead to serious health problems including heart failure, heart attack, kidney failure and stroke. The American Heart Association (AHA) cites HBP as the No. 1 modifiable risk factor for stroke.
The key word is modifiable, since HBP can be successfully controlled through lifestyle changes such as eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol and avoiding tobacco.
The AHA recommends a diet comprised of a variety of foods including whole grain breads, pastas and cereals; lean meat, fish and poultry; fruits and vegetables and low-fat or fat-free dairy products. You should also strive to limit saturated fats and avoid foods that are high in sodium or heavily salted.
The following is a list of whole foods that are naturally low in sodium or sodium free and therefore make particularly good choices for people with HBP.
Low Sodium
Fruits and vegetables that contain 140 mg or less sodium per serving are considered “low sodium.”
- artichokes
- bell peppers
- broccoli
- carrots
- celery
- radishes
- sweet potatoes
Very Low Sodium
Fruits and vegetables that contain 35 mg or less sodium per serving are considered “very low sodium.”
| brussels sprouts | chili peppers, hot | lentils | okra | peas, split or pigeon | raisins, seedless | squash, crookneck |
| cabbage, green or red | collard greens | lettuce, leaf or iceberg | onion | pineapple | rhubarb | tomato |
| cantaloupe | endive | lima beans | green onion | pink beans | rutabaga | tofu |
| cauliflower, green or white | figs, dried | honeydew | papaya | pinto beans | snap beans | white beans |
| chickpeas | grapes | mushrooms | parsley | prickly pear | spaghetti squash | winged beans |
Sodium Free
Fruits and vegetables that contain less than 5 mg sodium per serving qualify as “sodium free.”
| apple | blueberries | eggplant | guava | orange | raspberries |
| apricot | sweet cucumber | endive | kiwi | peach | squash |
| asparagus | cherries | Belgian figs | lemon | pear | crookneck squash |
| avocado | sweet corn | garlic | romaine lettuce | pepper | summer strawberries |
| banana | currants | gooseberries | mango | plums | tangerine |
| blackberries | dried dates | grapefruit | nectarine | potatoes | watermelon |
Eating these foods is good for lowering both your blood pressure and cholesterol as well as helping you achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Since these foods are also rich in fiber, and most Americans fall far short of the recommended 25 - 30 grams per day, you can kill three of the proverbial "birds" with one dietary “stone” by eating this way. Be well.
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