Hypertension Alert! 10 Foods To Avoid With High Blood Pressure

1. Excess Salt/Salty Foods

Limit the consumption of salt if you are suffering from high blood pressure. Sodium can adversely affect your kidneys, heart, arteries, and brain with the high level of blood pressure. Too much of blood pressure puts strain on the arteries, which eventually leads to narrowing of the arteries.

Further, too much of sodium intake can damage the arteries, which connect to the heart. Initially, it reduces blood flow to the heart, which leads to heart attack.

Therefore, a person shouldn't have less than 2.3 mg of salt in a day. Direct intake of salt and having foods containing a high amount of sodium will lead to an increase in blood pressure level.

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2. Canned Foods

Canned foods such as canned beans, boiled tomato products, and pre-made soups and noodles, contain a high amount of salt in it. This is because in order to preserve these products, a high amount of salt is required.

So, while using canned beans, you can rinse it thoroughly with coriander and water and remove the adequate amount of salt. Canned tomato products like tomato paste, ketchup, and sauces contain salt for preservation.

It is therefore advisable to create a homemade sauce to avoid a high amount of salt content. Apart from these pre-made soups, instant noodles too have salt content. They may be easy to cook and eat but can adversely affect your health. So, purchase low-sodium soups or make them with fresh veggies at home itself.

3. Processed Foods

Processed food such as frozen chicken, beef, pork, fish, shrimps, etc., or ready-to-fry chicken sausage, nuggets, or French fries, contain a high level of sodium for preservation. It might be tasty to eat and time saving, but it is always better to buy fresh products from the market, rather than consuming frozen products that can increase the blood pressure level.

4. Sugary Foods

In the market, there are a wide variety of products which contain a high amount of sugar, which are either naturally or artificially added. An excess amount of sugar consumption leads to weight gain and adds extra calories.

If you are a diabetic patient having food containing high amount sugar, it can adversely affect your health. Even for people who are suffering for hypertension, obesity is one of the reasons for increasing the level of blood pressure in the body.

Therefore, limit the consumption of sugar directly or in foods such as chocolates, breads, preserved fruit juices, etc. Check for sugar alternatives if required but don't have too much of sugar or sugary foods.

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5. Soft Drinks

Many of us are fond of soft drinks for its flavour and thirst-quenching property. But this soft drink which contains a carbonated soda, effective for acidity, also contains a high amount of sugar in it.

It is seen that soft drinks supply more of sugar to the body than chocolates. Prolonged consumption of soft drinks leads to obesity and subsequently increases the blood pressure level.

Limit your soft drink consumption and instead have fresh fruit juice without sugar for having better health.

6. Pastries

Pastries are an all-time favourite food item for children as well the adults. The delicious cookies, cakes, dough nuts, etc., are indeed mouth-watering. But despite their yummy taste, such products are harmful for people suffering from hypertension.

This is because they contain a high amount of sugar in them that leads to weight gain. Obesity will not only lead to a bad shape but amongst its associated diseases, it is seen to escalate the blood pressure level as well. Limit the consumption of pastries for better health.

7. Alcohol

Youngsters and corporate people are too much engrossed in the consumption of alcohol and often think it as a modernist outlook. But the amount of sugar contained in it can raise your blood pressure level.

Alcohol leads to kidney failure, imposes heart risk, and leads to subsequent weight gain. All of these combined together induce the level of blood pressure and expose a person to undergo potential health hazard.

8. Tobacco

Smoking is injurious to health-all of us are well aware of this statement. Tobacco is the main cause of cancer, lungs dysfunction, health ailment, etc. Besides, chewing or smoking tobacco increases the blood pressure by narrowing the lining of the artery walls.

Both active and passive smoking can lead to an increased blood pressure level, which adversely affects your health. It is therefore best to quit smoking.

9. Caffeine

Having a cup of warm coffee in the chilly days of winter morning, is a great way to kick-start the morning, but an increased level of caffeine consumed can lead to an increase in the blood pressure level.

Although the amount increased stays only for a short span; but when the quantity of caffeine increases, the impact of it can wreak havoc. Therefore, limit the caffeine consumption to twice a week.

10. Pickles

Pickles are one of those foods which are loved by many. In India, it is mostly seen that people consume pickles almost on a daily basis, either with chapatis or parathas. Though they are tasty to eat, the high amount of sodium content in the pickles for preservation can lead to an increase in the blood pressure level. Therefore, opt for pickles which contain a low amount of sodium of sugar in it.

So, if you are suffering from hypertension, it is important to keep a check on the food that you consume. Irregular food habits can lead to increased blood pressure and its associated health perils. Try to avoid the above-mentioned foods and stay active and healthy.