This text is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Before engaging in any physical activity or making any changes to your food, medicine, or lifestyle, consult with a trained medical expert.
High blood pressure, often known as hypertension, is a frequent ailment characterized by an excessive force of blood pushing against the body's arteries.
The increased labor required to circulate oxygen-rich blood throughout the body raises the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other major health problems.
One in every five Canadian adults has high blood pressure. Furthermore, an estimated nine out of ten Canadians will acquire hypertension during their lives.
Fortunately, evidence indicates that a healthy diet can dramatically lower blood pressure and lessen the risk of acquiring hypertension in the first place.
According to Hypertension Canada, sodium is the leading cause of high blood pressure. To control blood pressure, they recommend limiting sodium consumption to fewer than 2,000 mg per day.
While our brains may quickly think of decreasing table salt, widely consumed high-sodium meals vastly outnumber table salt consumption.
Continue reading to discover the top ten worst foods for high blood pressure.
Restaurant fare
There's a reason why restaurant meals taste so good: they're loaded with oil, sugar, and salt. The truth is that most restaurant food, particularly fast food, is not designed to be healthy, but rather to be as delicious as possible.
Unfortunately, due to this reality, restaurant foods are among the leading causes of hypertension. While ordering takeout sounds more attractive than preparing it for yourself, limit your consumption of these sodium-rich foods.
Prepared foods
Processed foods such as chips, cookies, breakfast cereals, and other packaged snacks are among the worst offenders when it comes to high blood pressure.
Many of us have been astonished to discover several zeros next to the sodium, fat, and sugar levels on the nutrition labels of our favorite foods.
This is due to the fact that highly processed meals are loaded with additives to enhance their flavor, which is why they are so addictive.
Smoked meats
Some of the worst foods for high blood pressure are cured meats such as ham, bacon, salami, sausage, and smoked salmon.
This is due to the curing process's heavy reliance on salt. While curing preserves these foods for longer periods of time, it also means they are particularly heavy in sodium.
Meats from delis
Hypertensive people should avoid packaged luncheon meats.
Lunch meats are not only highly processed, but they also have very high salt levels.
One slice of lunch meat contains up to 382 mg of sodium, which is much more than the recommended sodium intake per serving.
Soups
While soups are sometimes regarded as healthy, veggie-packed meals, they frequently have some of the highest sodium amounts.
This is especially true of canned and processed soups and broths. When selecting your favorite soups, look for low-sodium labels.
Bread
While bread may not taste salty, it contains a lot of salt. This is especially true for pre-packaged, manufactured bread.
Checking the nutrition labels on packaged items can help you reduce your sodium intake significantly. It is usually preferable to choose high-fiber, whole-grain bread over highly processed pieces of bread.
Vegetables in cans
While canned vegetables are convenient, they might be high in sodium.
To keep canned foods flavorful, salt is added, which means they are not optimal for hypertension.
Choose low-sodium or salt-free canned foods, and thoroughly wash canned veggies after opening.
Meals from the freezer
While frozen meals are convenient for hectic days, they are also among the worst foods for your blood pressure.
This is because they are frequently laced with salt to enhance the flavor. Even frozen meals promoted as healthful or low-calorie may include excessive sodium levels, so read the labels car
Fermented foods
Pickles, sauerkraut, and olives are preserved by immersing them in an extra-salty vinegar brine.
Pickled foods, while delightful additions to meals, significantly increase sodium intake.
Condiments
Condiments like ketchup, mustard, and salad dressings may appear harmless, but their high salt levels pack a punch.
Choosing low-sodium condiments and limiting your intake is one strategy to reduce your salt intake, so reducing the work of your kidneys and arteries.
In conclusion
While high-sodium diets are only one factor in the development of high blood pressure, evidence shows that limiting your intake of high-salt foods can help lower your blood pressure.
If you have high blood pressure, talk to your doctor about any further dietary changes or medications that you might need to enhance your health.
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