Digestive Health

Is salt the only factor in your diet that affects your blood pressure? Whether recently diagnosed with high B.P or having a history of hypertension since quite a few years, keeping a tab of what you eat can help you manage your hypertension effectively. Scroll to learn more about foods for a healthy heart versus foods that damage the heart.

Understanding Blood Pressure
Your heart does the job of pumping blood in your body. The pressure with which your blood flows within these arteries is called blood pressure. Your blood pressure is not constant & keeps varying within a certain range depending on various factors like your sleep, food intake, emotions, physical activity etc. However if this blood pressure tends to stay elevated for a long duration throughout the day, it is termed as High Blood Pressure Or Hypertension.

Blood Pressure & The Heart
Hypertension, or chronic high blood pressure, can severely damage the heart by exerting constant pressure on its walls, which leads to heart muscle thickening, reduced blood flow, and increased risk of heart failure, heart attacks, and irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias) over time.

Constant hypertension leads to hardening & stiffness of blood vessels narrowing the passage of blood flow leading to coronary heart disease.  Chest pain also known as angina can result due to poor blood flow arising from damaged arteries. This can further contribute to irregular heartbeats known as arrhythmia, as a consequence of interruption in smooth blood flow to the heart.

The heart muscles have to work harder to pump blood with uncontrolled chronic hypertension. Over time the muscles of the heart stiffen, become weak and enlarged affecting its pumping capacity. Eventually, the heart fails to supply sufficient blood leading to heart failure and heart attack and this leads to an increased risk for heart attack and heart failure. 

Diet for Managing Blood Pressure
Your diet plays a major role in managing your blood pressure levels. A team of researches & healthcare professionals developed a special diet in the year 1990, called DASH for blood pressure management. This diet was introduced by the American Heart Association, Funded by NIH (National Institutes of Health) and promoted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). DASH stands for Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension. Let's look at some best foods for heart health listed in the DASH Diet.

Best Food for Heart Health - Fruits & Vegetables
4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis can assist in managing hypertension effectively. Its nutrient rich profile contains fiber, antioxidants, vitamins & minerals which form an essential part of a nutritional diet for hypertension.

Fruits Good for the Heart
Some of the best fruits for the heart include:

Apples, berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries), and peaches etc. The antioxidant, fiber, potassium etc. enhances blood vessel function and  contributes to blood pressure control.
  
Nuts & Seeds
Some of the best foods for a healthy heart include nuts & seeds. 4-5  servings of nuts & seeds per day are considered beneficial food for the heart. While nuts like pistachios, cashews, walnuts and almonds etc are rich in magnesium, fiber and calcium. Seeds like pumpkin, chia, and flax are also sources of high antioxidants, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, that reduce inflammation and improve overall heart function.

Whole grains for heart health
Consuming 6-8 servings of whole grains on a daily basis is a part of a nutritional diet for hypertension. Whole grains are  not just high in fiber, but also antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants which help in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.

Brown rice, Quinoa, Oatmeal & Millets are some high-fiber alternatives to white rice and refined grains that helps to keep blood sugar levels constant.

Lean Protein
A minimum of 1 serving of lean protein is essential for cardiovascular health. Lentils, beans, soya and tofu are some plant-based lean sources of proteins while skinless chicken breast, lean cuts of beef, eggwhites, white fleshed fishes etc are good sources of lean sources of protein for non-vegetarians.

Heart-Healthy Protein Sources

• Skinless chicken is a good source of lean protein and has less saturated fat than red meat.
• Fish (salmon, mackerel, and tuna): High in omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce inflammation and the risk of heart disease.
• Legumes (lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans) are high in fiber, plant-based protein, and important minerals for heart health.
• Tofu and soy-based products are great alternatives to animal protein, containing heart-protective plant sterols and good fats.

Low Fat Dairy
Dairy products often contain a generous amount of saturated fat when the source is whole-fat milk and these can increase the risk of high cholesterol & plaque buildup in the arteries.  Opting for low-fat dairy such as skimmed milk, low-fat curd/buttermilk and low-fat cottage cheese are more beneficial for heart health.

Worst Food for Heart Health

High Sodium Foods
Table salt is one of the major contributors of sodium in our regular diet. Sodium is essential for many bodily functions but it may raise your blood pressure & contribute to heart health disorders if we exceed the recommended daily limit. Around 2,300 mg of sodium ( around 1 teaspoon of salt) per day is the recommendation laid down by the American Heart Association, with an ideal consumption of no more than 1500mg per day, especially for people with hypertension.

Excessive salt intake can lead to  water retention, causing increase in  blood volume and arterial pressure, straining the heart. Foods like chips, pickles, ketchup, and packaged food items are loaded with sodium & are best avoided on a diet for a healthy heart.

High-Fat Foods
High-fat foods, especially the ones rich in saturated fats lead to plaque buildup in the arteries, narrowing the passage of blood flow thereby contributing to high blood pressure. Avoid foods which are high in saturated fat/trans fats like red meat, organ meat, egg yolk, sausages and fatty cuts of meat, butter, and ghee. Even processed and fried food items, such as french fries, fried chicken, fast food, pastries, chips, mayonnaise, and creamy sauces, contain trans fats, which can harm heart health. High-fat foods also increase the risk of obesity, which is another major contributor to hypertension & heart health issues.

High Sugar Foods
Foods with high sugar content, especially from sugary drinks (Cold drinks, packaged fruit juices, sweetened tea/ coffee/milkshakes), processed foods(pre-cooked meals, instant noodles, packaged snacks, canned fish, etc.) and refined carbohydrates, contributes to hypertension by various mechanisms. High sugar foods increase insulin resistance, promote sodium retetion and also give rise to inflammation all of which lead to increased blood pressure. Therefore, it is best avoided in a nutritional diet for hypertension management.

Alcohol
Excessive alcohol consumption puts pressure on the walls of blood vessels that supply blood to the heart leading to hypertension. While binge drinking at one go may increase blood pressure for a short period, doing so regularly can lead to the development of hypertension in the long run. Alcohol also contains excess calories especially when combined with other drinks such as cold drinks which further increases the risk of weight gain and hypertension.

Other Factors Influencing Blood Pressure

Herbs & Spices

Garlic
Research has shown that garlic helps in lowering blood pressure levels in hypertensive patients. The sulphur-containing compound allicin in garlic which is also responsible for its strong flavour and taste has a vasodilatory effect. This means it widens the blood vessels by relaxing the arterial wall muscles and lowering blood pressure levels.

Arjuna
Arjuna bark lowers blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels (vasodilation), lowering cortisol (the stress hormone), and acting as a mild diuretic (removing excess sodium and water). It also exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that improve heart function, lower LDL cholesterol, and prevent arterial plaque accumulation, thereby enhancing overall cardiovascular health.

Exercise
While during your exercise your blood pressure may slightly get elevated but exercising regularly will help your body manage high blood pressure in the long run. Consistent exercising strengthens your heart muscles which improves its overall pumping capacity and other functions, decreasing the pressure on the walls of arteries.

Stress
When in stress our body gets into a Fight or Flight mode by releasing stress hormones. These hormones cause our blood vessels to constrict to increase blood flow to the muscles, so that these muscles gain strength to fight with the stressor. In this bargain our blood pressure slightly elevates and also returns to normal when the stress levels go down This is also termed as situational stress. Constant stress can put your body into frequent hypertensive episodes.
 
Lifestyle Habits
Unhealthy lifestyle habits such as smoking, low physical activity, and frequent indulgence in packaged/high sodium food intake also increase your risk of developing hypertension.

Summary
While you continue with your medications for hypertension as per your doctor’s advice, do not forget to include beneficial food for the heart as listed above. Given the positive impact of the DASH Diet for controlling hypertension, it needs to be incorporated into every heart patient diet.