How to Manage High Blood Pressure through Diet

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If you have high blood pressure, you are more than twice as likely to develop heart disease and six times more likely to have a stroke than people with normal blood pressure. Manage your condition through diet.

Warning
Never change your diet without first consulting your physician.

Step 1: Eat less saturated fat
Eat less saturated fat. If you are used to eating a diet high in fat, reducing your fat and cholesterol intake will reduce your blood pressure.

Step 2: Keep your weight under control
Count calories and keep your weight in check. Putting on extra pounds tends to raise blood pressure.

Step 3: Eat more produce
Eat more produce. Fruits and vegetables contain potassium, a mineral that appears to lower blood pressure.

Step 4: Reduce your salt intake
Reduce your salt intake if your blood pressure responds to salt in your diet. About 58 percent of people with high blood pressure are salt-sensitive.

Tip
If you are not sure whether you are salt-sensitive, consult your doctor about trying a low-salt diet to see if your pressure drops.

Step 5: Drink in moderation
Drink alcohol in moderation. Although studies have shown that one alcoholic drink a day can lower your blood pressure, drinking excessively will raise it.

Did You Know?
Over the course of an average life span, the human heart beats about 2½ billion times without stopping.