Low Sodium Diet for Hypertension

High blood pressure or hypertension can lead to heart attack or stroke. The hypertension diet includes fruits and vegetables and reduces sodium intake to lower high blood pressure. A low-sodium diet allows less sodium than a typical diet.

Sodium

• Reduce your intake of sodium to 1,500 mg a day. The typical diet contains 2,400 mg a day, but lowering that will help reduce blood pressure. Table salt is not the only source of sodium in the diet. Read ingredient labels to count the amount of sodium in your foods.

  Processed foods contain high levels of sodium, so eliminate them as much as possible. Soda and carbonated beverages contain a great deal of sodium. Many people choose diet sodas to reduce caloric intake, but avoid these drinks on a low-sodium diet.

  Season your meals with herbs and pepper instead of table salt. Some lower-sodium salt products are available to replace the salt that is used in recipes.

Fruits and Vegetables

• Eat more fruits and vegetables. Include whole grains and lean protein in the diet to improve many health conditions including high blood pressure.

  The DASH diet, for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, lowers blood pressure in just a few weeks when the program is followed. The diet is difficult to follow in the beginning because of the increase in fruits and vegetables. On this diet program, consume four to six servings of vegetables and the same amount of fruit. Over time the diet will become easier to follow, and eating more produce will be second nature.

Potassium

• The increase in fruits and vegetables will also increase your potassium intake. Potassium lowers blood pressure. In a study published in the April 2005 issue of Hypertension, potassium citrate was shown to have the same effect as potassium chloride in lowering blood pressure. This means that the potassium found in fruits and vegetables can lower blood pressure in the same way as the potassium that was available only as a supplement in the past. Add bananas or mangoes to your diet to increase your potassium intake.