Patients with high blood pressure will eat less salt in order to control their blood pressure, believing that salt consumption is an important cause of blood pressure increase, but after strict control of salt consumption, it still does not meet the standard, and patients with high blood pressure are very distressed about this.
In fact, there are many reasons that affect blood pressure, especially eating habits have a great impact on blood pressure, in daily life we should not only control salt, but also eat less other foods that have an impact on blood pressure.
1. Do patients with high blood pressure need to control salt?
Such patients need to strictly control the intake of edible salt, which is a compound composed of sodium and chloride ions, sodium plays an important role in maintaining water balance, nerve conduction, muscle contraction, etc., but excessive sodium intake can lead to increased blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and other diseases.
The sodium ions in the salt will affect the sodium excretion function of the kidneys, which are the main sodium-excreting organs in the human body, and when there are too many sodium ions in the body, the kidneys need more work to excrete the excess sodium ions.
Long-term intake of too much salt will increase the burden on the kidneys, increase the glomerular filtration rate, and sodium will be re-carried into the renal tubules or collecting ducts, but the body will eliminate limited sodium ions, and some sodium ions will be retained, which will increase the pressure on blood vessels, so it is necessary to control salt intake to reduce the burden on the kidneys, maintain the normal function of the kidneys, and stabilize blood pressure.
The sodium ions in salts affect the function of vascular endothelial cells, which play an important role in controlling vasodilation and contraction. However, excess sodium ions can lead to abnormal function of vascular endothelial cells, decreased nitric oxide in endothelial cells, impaired diastolic function, and may increase blood pressure due to vasoconstriction.
Controlling salt intake can reduce the adverse effects on vascular endothelial cells and help maintain the normal function of blood vessels.
It is very important for patients with hypertension to control salt intake, and it is hoped that patients with hypertension can pay attention to dietary regulation and reasonably control salt intake.
Choose low-salt foods and low-salt condiments, eat less processed foods, processed foods include canned foods, pickled foods, quick-frozen foods, etc., these foods may contain a lot of additives and preservatives in addition to salt, which is more harmful to health, we should try to choose fresh ingredients, cook by ourselves, and eat less processed foods.
Diet is also an important way to control salt intake, and we should try to choose foods rich in potassium, such as bananas, potatoes, spinach, etc. Potassium can help the body excrete excess salt and reduce the harm of salt to the body, we can also choose some foods rich in dietary fiber, dietary fiber can help the body excrete excess salt and water, thereby reducing the harm of salt to the body, in addition to controlling salt, but also to control the intake of some foods.
Second, in addition to salt, these 3 foods should also be eaten less
1) High-fat foods
When the human body ingests too much saturated fat and trans fat, the blood lipid level in our blood will continue to rise, which will increase the risk of damage to the blood vessel wall, and aggravate the condition of hypertensive patients, and high-fat food will also increase weight, obesity is a risk factor for hypertension, excessive fat intake will lead to weight gain, this situation will increase the burden on the heart, increase the pressure of blood circulation, and over time will affect the heart's pumping function and increase the difficulty of blood pressure control.
This eating habit affects the endothelial function of blood vessels, and at the same time, it will also harden blood vessels, and blood vessels become stiff, so that blood pressure cannot be regulated in time, increasing the possibility of blood pressure rising.
Moreover, eating high-fat foods for a long time can also cause inflammation, exacerbate vascular lesions, and further aggravate the condition of hypertensive patients, so reducing the intake of high-fat foods can help maintain blood vessel health and reduce the risk of hypertension.
Try to avoid excessive intake of high-fat foods in your daily diet, especially foods containing trans fatty acids, some fried foods, milk tea desserts have high fat content, try to eat as little as possible, we can choose healthy fats to eat in moderation, olive oil, fish oil and nuts are all high-quality fats.
2) High cholesterol foods
This type of food increases the risk of arteriosclerosis, and for patients with high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis will increase the resistance of blood vessels, increase the burden on the heart, lead to an increase in blood pressure, increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, and the saturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids in this food will promote inflammation and aggravate vascular lesions, which will also aggravate the condition.
High-cholesterol foods will also increase the burden on the heart, when there is too much cholesterol, it will enter the blood, resulting in an increase in blood viscosity, an increase in the density of the blood, and an increase in the pressure of blood flow, which may lead to an increase in the load on the heart muscle, the heart needs more energy to maintain normal operation, and the increased burden on the heart will lead to a decrease in heart function and aggravate the condition of high blood pressure. The increased viscosity of the blood itself can also cause blood circulation to become poor, which can lead to an increase in blood pressure and aggravate the condition of high blood pressure.
We suggest that patients with high blood pressure should pay attention to their diet in their daily life, avoid excessive intake of high-cholesterol foods, and maintain a healthy lifestyle, which helps to control the progression of the disease and improve the quality of life.
3) Stimulant drinks
This category usually refers to drinks that contain caffeine or other stimulants, with coffee being the most common stimulant drink that contains a lot of caffeine to refresh the mind, and energy drinks that contain high concentrations of caffeine and other stimulants to provide quick energy and a refreshing effect.
Tea is also a stimulant drink, it also contains caffeine, excessive consumption of stimulant drinks may cause adverse health effects, it is recommended to drink it in moderation, especially for people with high blood pressure.
Stimulant drinks often contain caffeine, caffeine is a stimulant, it stimulates the central nervous system, causing us to have an increased heart rate and increased blood pressure, for patients with high blood pressure, there is a high blood pressure situation, excessive intake of caffeine will aggravate the risk of increased blood pressure, patients with high blood pressure should try to avoid excessive caffeine intake, reduce the intake of stimulant drinks.
Some stimulant drinks may contain a lot of sugar, such as energy drinks, etc., and patients with high blood pressure will consume too much sugar to gain weight, which in turn will increase the burden on the heart and aggravate the condition of high blood pressure.
High-sugar drinks can also cause blood sugar fluctuations, which is not good for the health of people with high blood pressure. Some stimulant drinks may contain various additives that may have a negative impact on the health of people with high blood pressure, and we should choose natural and healthy drinks to reduce the risk of ingesting additives.
Caffeine and other stimulants in stimulant drinks can affect sleep quality, leading to problems such as insomnia, anxiety, etc.
Sleep deprivation can aggravate the condition and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, so stimulant drinks should be avoided before bedtime, and maintaining a good sleep quality is essential to control blood pressure.
Patients with high blood pressure must control the intake of these foods, while maintaining good eating habits, eating more fresh vegetables and fruits, and maintaining a light diet.
3. What are the precautions for hypertensive patients in their lives?
In addition to diet, there are many other aspects of life that people with high blood pressure need to pay attention to in order to manage their condition and improve their quality of life. One of the most important may be to monitor blood pressure regularly, so that patients with high blood pressure can understand their blood pressure control, and if there is a large fluctuation in blood pressure, or blood pressure control is not ideal, they can communicate with their doctor in time to ensure that the condition is effectively controlled.
Usually, it is recommended that patients measure their blood pressure at least once a day and record it, which can help doctors better understand the development trend of the disease and adjust the treatment plan in time. We can also monitor changes in blood pressure to detect abnormalities in time and avoid deterioration of the condition.
We should also pay attention to maintaining a proper weight, which can reduce the burden on the heart, lower blood pressure, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Patients can control their weight by eating a reasonable diet and exercising moderately, while avoiding overeating and not exercising for long periods of time; Moderate exercise can enhance heart function, improve blood circulation, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
We can choose the exercise method that suits us, such as walking, jogging, swimming, etc., but some high-risk hypertension patients need to be guided by a doctor to avoid the impact of excessive exercise intensity on cardiovascular disease.
Patients with high blood pressure should also avoid mental stress, mental stress is another important factor that leads to high blood pressure, long-term mental stress and stress will lead to increased blood pressure, which will also aggravate the condition.
Patients with high blood pressure need to learn to deal with stress effectively, maintain a happy mood, avoid overwork and anxiety, and can relieve mental stress and maintain physical and mental health by doing some relaxing activities, such as listening to music, reading books, doing yoga, etc.
Patients with high blood pressure must quit smoking and limit alcohol, as the nicotine and alcohol in tobacco can cause damage to blood vessels and the heart, aggravating the condition of high blood pressure. We should try to quit smoking and limit alcohol, and avoid smoking and excessive drinking.
If you are unable to quit smoking or limit alcohol completely, you should also minimize the frequency and measure of smoking and alcohol consumption to reduce the harm to the body.
Through reasonable lifestyle and behavioral habits, we can effectively control the disease, reduce the occurrence of complications, and improve the quality of life. In addition, we must pay close attention to the doctor's advice, have regular follow-up visits, and adjust the treatment plan in time to achieve better treatment results.
Patients with high blood pressure need to strictly control the intake of edible salt, the sodium ions in edible salt are very harmful to the vascular system, which can easily lead to blood pressure fluctuations, in addition to controlling salt, we also need to control high-fat foods, high-cholesterol foods and stimulating drinks, which will also affect blood pressure.
In addition to paying attention to eating habits, we should also pay attention to other aspects of life, regularly measuring blood pressure, exercising moderately, controlling our emotions, and having regular check-ups all help us control blood pressure.
Literature References:
1. Wang Minghui et al. Research on dietary control in patients with hypertension[J]. China Health and Nutrition, 2018(3): 77-80.
2. Zhang Yanxia et al. Study on dietary guidance program for patients with hypertension[J]. Chinese Journal of Nursing Research, 2017(6): 35-39.