foods to avoid to lower blood pressure
foods to avoid to lower blood pressure Bru-nO - Pixabay

High blood pressure is a problem that affects both men and women, young and old. Many have come to deal with high blood pressure readings, along with the associated symptoms whenever the blood pressure is off the charts.

Many, if not all, medical practitioners put a great emphasis on lifestyle changes in order to prevent the blood pressure from soaring. One particular area that you have to voluntarily make some changes is food. There are foods that could virtually send your blood pressure spiking, and there are also those that could help lower it.

Avoiding the foods that increase your blood pressure is always the first step. Below are some of the foods that you have to avoid in order for you to see a lower blood pressure reading.

Tasty But Dangerous Salt

According to Blood Pressure UK, the biggest cause of high blood pressure is eating too much salt. Whenever you eat a lot of salt, including known salty foods like canned goods, your blood pressure would also increase.

Salt retains water in the body. The more salt that you eat, the more water will be stored by the body, which would raise your blood pressure. Take note, if you are already suffering from high blood pressure and you still eat a lot of salt, then those blood pressure meds like diuretics will not work as well. So if you want to lower blood pressure readings, better choose foods that don’t have a lot of salt in them.

Salt-Rich Foods to Avoid

So what are these foods that have too much salt content? Canned goods are among those foods that you must avoid. If you so desperately need to eat them because you no longer have the time to cook a decent meal, then go for those that indicate they have less sodium content.

Pickled foods must be avoided too. Remember that salt is one of the primary ingredients in making these delectable picked dishes. So try to look for a better alternative if you are yearning for that fine pickled taste.

Make sure that you avoid frozen and ready-to-eat meals that you can find at convenience stores. Like canned goods, these foods also contain a chockfull of salt. Avoiding a single meal from the convenience store can spell a huge difference between maintaining normal blood pressure and getting it dangerously high.

Now that you know which foods you should avoid, better remember them. It is easier to steer clear of these foods than to find the quick treatment the moment your blood pressure has already gone up because of your inability to contain yourself from eating prohibited foods.