Foods that causes high blood pressure

The effects that food has on blood pressure can vary from individual to individual, but eating an unhealthy diet overall can negatively impact your blood pressure. High blood pressure can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, heart attack and kidney failure, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. A person is considered to have high blood pressure or hypertension when the blood pressure levels are 140/90 or higher.

 

Salt

Salt can increase your blood pressure by causing your body to retain more water, which will put more pressure on your heart. People with healthy blood pressure levels should limit their sodium intake to 2,300 mg per day, but those with high blood pressure should consume no more than 1,500 mg of sodium in their daily diet, and some doctors may recommended less depending on the individual.

To reduce your risk of high blood pressure you should avoid adding salt to your food and instead use herbs and spices to flavor your meals. Also, to reduce the amount of salt you consume, it is important to read product labels because frozen foods or meals are generally high in salt. Meats often contain high salt contents as a way to preserve them and increase their water weight for sale.

Beverages Containing Alcohol

Drinking more than three alcoholic beverages a day can contribute to high blood pressure because the alcohol can push healthy nutrients away from your heart, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. Alcohol consumption, whether it is in the form of wine, beer or liquor, will cause your blood pressure to increase if you regularly drink more than moderate amounts or if you binge drink.

MayoClinic.com recommends that women drink no more than one drink a day and men limit their alcohol intake to two drinks a day.

Unhealthy Fats

Foods that contain unhealthy saturated and trans fats can contribute to increased levels of blood pressure. Specific foods that contain significant amounts of trans fats include butter, margarine and shortening. Trans fats are not necessary to your diet and can negatively affect your heart health in ways additional to increased blood pressure.

Saturated fats come from foods such as whole milk products, fried foods and fatty meats such as beef, sausage and bacon. Saturated fat is not necessary in a healthy diet, but it does not have as many negative effects as trans fats. Substitute these unhealthy fats with healthy unsaturated fats such as nuts, fish and vegetable oils. These will help reduce your risk of high blood pressure.