The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet can help you lower your blood pressure. It includes eating fruits, vegetables, and low-fat or nonfat dairy foods. For more information on the DASH diet, see:
Follow these daily recommendations:
Food |
Recommended servings |
Examples |
---|---|---|
Low-fat and fat-free milk and milk products |
2 to 3 servings a day |
A serving is 8 ounces of milk, 1 cup of yogurt, or 1 1/2 ounces of cheese. |
Fruits |
4 to 5 servings a day |
A serving is 1 medium-sized piece of fruit, 1/2 cup chopped or canned fruit, 1/4 cup dried fruit, or 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of fruit juice. Choose fruit more often than fruit juice. |
Vegetables |
4 to 5 servings a day |
A serving is 1 cup of lettuce or raw leafy vegetables, 1/2 cup of chopped or cooked vegetables, or 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of vegetable juice. Choose vegetables more often than vegetable juice. |
Grains |
6 to 8 servings a day |
A serving is 1 slice of bread, 1 ounce of dry cereal, or 1/2 cup of cooked rice, pasta, or cooked cereal. Try to choose whole-grain products as much as possible. |
Meat, poultry, fish |
No more than 2 servings a day |
A serving is 3 ounces, about the size of a deck of cards |
Legumes, nuts, seeds |
4 to 5 servings a week |
A serving is 1/3 cup of nuts, 2 tablespoons of seeds, or 1/2 cup cooked beans or peas. |
Fats and oils |
2 to 3 servings a day |
A serving is 1 teaspoon of soft margarine or vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise, or 2 tablespoons of low-fat salad dressing. |
Sweets and added sugars |
5 servings a week or less |
A serving is 1 tablespoon of jelly or jam, 1/2 cup of sorbet, or 1 cup of lemonade. |
Eating a diet low in both saturated fat and total fat will help lower your blood pressure.
Although you need some fat in your diet, limit how much saturated fat you eat. These fats are mostly in animal foods, such as meat and dairy foods. Coconut oil, palm oil, and cocoa butter are also saturated fats. Palm and coconut oils are often found in processed foods, including crackers and snack foods.
Follow the recommendations below to include healthy fats in your diet. DASH recommends that a little less than a third of your total calories come from fats. And most of these calories should come from healthy fats such as vegetable oils, nuts, and fish. Very few calories should come from saturated fat, which is found in animal meat, dairy products, and processed foods.
There is a link between eating sodium and having high blood pressure. Reducing sodium in the diet can prevent high blood pressure in those at risk for the disease and can help control high blood pressure. Limiting sodium is part of a heart-healthy eating plan that can help prevent heart disease and stroke.
Try to eat less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day. If you limit your sodium to 1,500 mg a day, you can lower your blood pressure even more.footnote 1
Cutting back on the amount of processed or refined foods you eat can help. These foods, such as canned and instant soups, packaged mixes, and snack items, don't have enough calcium, potassium, and magnesium—the very nutrients you need to help lower your blood pressure. And these foods can be high in sodium, saturated fats, and trans fats.
You also may try a vegetarian diet. In general, vegetarian diets reduce blood pressure, although experts don't know exactly why. The DASH diet could easily be a vegetarian diet if legumes (for example, beans, lentils, peas, and peanuts) were substituted for meat. Vegetarian diets tend to be higher in potassium, magnesium, and calcium, as does the DASH diet. Vegetarian diets also are higher in fiber and unsaturated fats than other diets.
Not eating enough foods containing potassium, calcium, and magnesium may contribute to high blood pressure.
To get enough of these nutrients, eat a balanced diet that contains plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy foods, and whole grains. Most people do not need to take dietary supplements to get enough potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
Good sources of potassium
All fresh fruits and vegetables and meats are good sources of potassium. Examples include the following:
Good sources of calcium
Good sources of magnesium
The safest way to ensure good nutrition is through a balanced, varied diet instead of through nutritional supplements.
Very large amounts of any of these minerals taken in the form of a supplement can cause problems, including possible death. See your doctor before taking large quantities of any supplement.
Garlic and onions
Although eating garlic and onions has been recommended to reduce blood pressure, evidence shows that only very small decreases in blood pressure may result.
Current as of: January 10, 2022
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:E. Gregory Thompson MD - Internal Medicine & Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine & Martin J. Gabica MD - Family Medicine & Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine & Rhonda O'Brien MS, RD, CDE - Certified Diabetes Educator & Kathleen M. Fairfield MD, MPH, DrPH - Internal Medicine
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