HYPERTENSION: THE DASH DIET

One step to lower high blood pressure -- incorporate the DASH diet into your lifestyle. Doctors recommend:

      • Eating more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods
      • Cutting back on foods that are high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and total fat
      • Eating more whole grain products, fish, poultry, and nuts
      • Eating less red meat and sweets
      • Eating foods that are rich in magnesium, potassium, and calcium

The DASH diet, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, is an example of such an eating plan. In studies, patients who were on the DASH diet reduced their blood pressure within two weeks. Another diet -- DASH-Sodium -- calls for reducing sodium (salt) to 1,500 mg a day (about 2/3 teaspoon). Studies of patients on the DASH-Sodium plan significantly lowered their blood pressure.

Implementing the DASH Diet

The DASH diet calls for a certain number of servings daily from various food groups. The number of servings you require may vary, depending on your caloric need. When beginning the diet, start slowly and make gradual changes. Consider adopting a diet plan that allows 2,400 milligrams of salt per day (about 1 teaspoon) and then once your body has adjusted to the diet further lower your salt intake to 1,500 mg per day (about 2/3 teaspoon). These amounts include all salt consumed, including that in food products, used in cooking, and added at the table.
Here are some tips to get you started:

    • Add a serving of vegetables at lunch and at dinner.
    • Add a serving of fruit to your meals or as a snack. Canned and dried fruits are easy to use.
    • Use only half the butter, margarine, or salad dressing, and use low-fat or fat-free condiments.
    • Drink low-fat or skim dairy products three times a day.
    • Limit meat to six ounces a day. Try eating some vegetarian meals.
    • Add more vegetables, rice, pasta, and dry beans to your diet.
    • Instead of typical snacks (chips, etc.), eat unsalted pretzels or nuts, raisins, graham crackers, low-fat and fat-free yogurt and frozen yogurt; unsalted plain popcorn with no butter, and raw vegetables.
    • Read food labels carefully to choose products that are lower in sodium.

Staying on the DASH Diet

The following is a list of food groups and suggested serving amounts for the DASH diet:

    • Grains: 7-8 daily servings
    • Vegetables: 4-5 daily servings
    • Fruits: 4-5 daily servings
    • Low-fat or fat-free dairy products: 2-3 daily servings
    • Meat, poultry and fish: 2 or less daily servings
    • Nuts, seeds, and dry beans: 4-5 servings per week
    • Fats and oils: 2-3 daily servings
    • Sweets: try to limit to less than 5 servings per week

How Much Is a Serving?

When you're trying to follow a healthy eating plan, it may help to know how much of a certain kind of food is considered a "serving." The following table offers some examples.

SERVING SIZES

Food/amount

1/2 cup cooked rice or pasta

1 slice bread

1 cup raw vegetables or fruit

1/2 cup cooked vegetables or fruit

8oz. of milk

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 ounces cooked meat

3 ounces tofu

REFERENCES
http://www.webmd.com

SUPPLEMETS FOR HYPERTENSION

    • Potassium. Eating foods rich in potassium will help protect some people from developing high blood pressure. You probably can get enough potassium from your diet, so a supplement isn't necessary. Many fruits, vegetables, dairy foods and fish are good sources of potassium.
    • Calcium. Populations with low calcium intakes have high rates of high blood pressure. However, it has not been proven that taking calcium tablets will prevent high blood pressure. But it is important to be sure to get at least the recommended amount of calcium -- 1000 milligrams per day for adults 19 to 50 years old and 1200 mg for those over 50 (pregnant and breastfeeding women also need more) -- from the foods you eat. Dairy foods like low-fat selections of milk, yogurt and cheese are good sources of calcium. Low-fat and nonfat dairy products have even more calcium than the high-fat types.
    • Magnesium. A diet low in magnesium may make your blood pressure rise. But doctors don't recommend taking extra magnesium to help prevent high blood pressure -- the amount you get in a healthy diet is enough. Magnesium is found in whole grains, green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, and dry peas and beans.
    • Fish oils. A type of fat called "omega-3 fatty acids" is found in fatty fish like mackerel and salmon. Large amounts of fish oils may help reduce high blood pressure, but their role in prevention is unclear. Taking fish oil pills is not recommended because high doses can cause unpleasant side effects. The pills are also high in fat and calories. Of course, most fish, if not fried or made with added fat, is low in saturated fat and calories and can be eaten often.
    • Garlic. There has been some evidence to suggest garlics effect in lowering blood pressure in addition to improving cholesterol and reducing some cancers. Further research is being conducted to fully assess garlics potential health benefits.

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