Proper nutrition for hypertension

The text is for informational purposes only. We urge you not to use diets, do not resort to any medical menus and fasting without medical supervision. Recommended reading: “Why you can not go on a diet on your own.” Nutrition for hypertension is the most important component of antihypertensive treatment aimed at lowering blood pressure. If you do not control the diet, the disease will only progress. The most common causes of death among hypertensive patients are: pathologies of the heart and blood vessels (strokes, myocardial infarction), renal failure, complications from the nervous system.

The goals of diet therapy are: correction of metabolic disorders (especially cholesterol), improvement of the functional state of the heart muscle, normalization of the parameters of the blood coagulation system, increase in the elasticity of blood vessels, increase in the synthesis of neuroregulatory hormones (serotonin and dopamine, which prevent mood swings).

clinical picture

Hypertension is a pathology of the cardiovascular system, characterized by a persistent increase in blood pressure. Today, every third inhabitant of the planet suffers from the disease (mainly people of the older age group).

Millimeters of mercury is considered to be the unit for measuring blood pressure. The value of arterial indicators is expressed in two numbers: large (systolic) and smaller (diastolic). Moreover, the first value is fixed during the maximum contraction of the heart muscle, and the second – at the time of complete relaxation of the myocardium.

Normally, systolic pressure varies within 100 – 125 millimeters of mercury, diastolic in the range of 70 – 85. If these indicators exceed 140 (upper) and 90 (lower) units, arterial hypertension occurs.

In the pharmaceutical industry, it is customary to distinguish the severity of 3 pathology.

Soft (preclinical)

This stage of the disease is characterized by frequent abrupt pressure drops (short). At the same time, the systolic index varies within 140 – 159 units, and the diastolic index in the 90 range – 99 units.

For the correction of preclinical hypertension, it is advisable to use folk remedies (as medications are not required).

Moderate (borderline)

The second degree of pathology is accompanied by an increase in the upper pressure to 179 millimeters of mercury, and the lower to 109 units.

To reduce arterial values, pharmaceuticals (hypotonic drugs) are used. In the absence of proper therapy, a hypertensive crisis is possible, since the indicators are at the borderline (upper) mark for a long time.

Severe (chronic)

In the 3 stage of the disease, the systolic pressure exceeds the 180 units, and the diastolic pressure exceeds the 110. Stabilize arterial indicators is possible only with the help of drugs.

If the disease is not stopped for a long time, irreversible changes develop in the “target organs” (kidneys, heart, brain, fundus vessels). At the same time, uncontrolled hypertension entails severe complications (strokes, encephalopathy, heart attacks, cognitive disorders, dementia, kidney failure, etc.).

Symptoms characteristic of the first two stages of the pathology:

• dizziness;
• tinnitus (congestion);
• headache;
• fatigue;
• irritability;
• puffiness of face;
• insomnia;
• “Double vision” in the eyes;
• swelling of the eyelids.

The following disorders occur at the third stage of the pathology:

• pain in the heart;
• nausea;
• feeling short of breath;
• tachycardia;
• redness of the skin;
• violation of coordination of movements;
• cognitive disorders (loss of memory, attention);
• deterioration of vision;
• “Weakness” in the limbs.

Remember, timely diagnosis of the disease will help to avoid serious complications: stroke, heart attack, heart failure.

Main principles of nutrition

To maintain good health, hypertensive patients should pay special attention to the diet. Remember, the health of the patient in 80% depends on compliance with doctor’s prescriptions and diet therapy.

Rules of nutrition in hypertension:

1. Limit your daily salt intake. Given that NaCl enhances fluid retention in the body, the consumption of large doses of salt is fraught with edema of the tissues surrounding the capillaries. At the same time, due to increased pressure on the arteries, blood output from the heart cavities increases (the beginning of the development of hypertension). However, the product cannot be completely excluded from the daily menu for hypertensive patients (due to the possible accumulation of nitrogenous compounds in the blood plasma). The optimal portion of salt is 4-5 grams per day. To improve the taste of food, you can use spices (basil, dill, garlic, parsley, onion), cranberry and lemon juice.
2. Sharply limit animal fats (saturated) in the menu. The most common cause of high blood pressure is the blockage of blood vessels by “bad” cholesterol. To improve the patency of capillaries, it is extremely important to refuse food that worsens lipid metabolism. Namely, from: offal, sausages, fried or smoked lard, processed cheese, fatty meats.
3. Enrich your diet with foods containing potassium and magnesium. Arterial hypertension, in 70% of cases, is accompanied by massive edema, circulatory failure, disorders of cholesterol metabolism. To minimize these problems, potassium and magnesium are included in the patient’s daily diet. These trace elements improve myocardial function (including increasing its endurance), accelerate the removal of excess fluid from tissues, have a relaxing effect on arteries, reducing smooth muscle spasm, and prevent the accumulation of atherosclerotic plaques on capillary walls.

Natural sources of potassium are dried apricots, bananas, prunes, potatoes (baked), melon, watermelon, raisins, pumpkin, dogrose (fruits), avocados.

Magnesium is present in large quantities in bran, cereals (oat, barley, buckwheat, wheat), leafy greens (parsley, lettuce), vegetables (carrots, beets), nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts).

4. Eliminate alcohol, nicotine, caffeinated drinks from the diet. Against the background of taking stimulating substances, in most hypertensive patients, the pulse quickens and some parts of the brain are overexcited. Due to the increased load on the cardiovascular system, blood pressure indicators “grow” upwards.
5. Replace simple carbohydrates with complex ones. Saccharides are the main suppliers of energy to the human body. With the consumption of simple carbohydrates (sugar, confectionery, jam), there is a sharp increase in blood glucose levels, which leads to the release of large doses of insulin. As a result, its excess is transformed into adipose tissue (since monosaccharides in the diet of a modern person are 4 times higher than normal). In addition, excessive intake of monostructures is fraught with the development of metabolic syndrome, which, in 90% of cases, is accompanied by arterial hypertension.

Complex saccharides (unlike simple ones) are absorbed more slowly, without causing metabolic disturbances and sharp rises in blood glucose. The best sources of high-molecular carbohydrates are whole grain bread, cereals, berries, herbs, vegetables, and fruits.

6. Use gentle cooking methods. The best options for heat treatment of food are baking, stewing, steaming, boiling. Refuse to fry food, because when fat is heated, a large amount of carcinogens, as well as “bad” fats, is released.
7. Observe the fractional diet. The optimal frequency of meals – 5 – 6 once a day.
8. Maintain the ratio of the main components of food. Hypertonic should be included in the daily diet: 15% protein (90 – 100 grams), 30% fat (80 – 85 grams), 55 – 60% complex carbohydrates (350 – 400 grams).
9. Observe drinking regimen. Among hypertensive patients there is an opinion that you need to consume less water, since it contributes to an increase in pressure. This is a dangerous fallacy. In fact, with a lack of fluid in the body, blood viscosity increases, vascular turgor decreases, and the concentration of low density lipoproteins increases.

The daily portion of water (in addition to drinks) is calculated based on the ratio of 35 – 50 milliliters per kilogram of body weight.

Interestingly, each cup of coffee drunk (volume of 150 milliliters) removes 4 equivalent portions of liquid (600 milliliters) from the body. The body, trying to keep such a valuable resource, creates edema, as a result of which blood pressure rises.

With hypertension accompanied by obesity, the energy value of the daily menu is reduced to 1000 – 1500 kilocalories (by reducing the daily dose of carbohydrates and increasing the daily portion of proteins and healthy fats).

Hard low-calorie diets and fasting at elevated pressure are contraindicated. Hypertensive overweight admissible 2 once a week to spend vegetarian fasting days.

Pressure Reduction Products

Hypertensive nutrition should be based on products that improve lipid metabolism, reduce the concentration of “bad” cholesterol in the blood, increase the strength of blood vessels, accelerate the removal of excess fluid from tissues, eliminate capillary spasm, and improve cardiac muscle function. When compiling a daily nutritional scheme, it is better to give preference to food, which includes vitamins B4, B6, C, E, A, B8, B9, macrocells (potassium, magnesium, iodine, selenium), polyunsaturated fats (omega-3).

List of pressure reducing products:

1. Unsalted seafood (fish, oysters, scallops, seaweed). They contain a large amount of polyunsaturated fats (omega-3, omega-6), amino acids (arginine, tryptophan, lysine, threonine, tyrosine), micro and macro elements (selenium, iodine, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium). Due to the rich ingredient composition, seafood reduces the level of harmful cholesterol, regulates the tone of blood vessels, improves the functioning of the heart muscle, and normalizes blood viscosity.
2. Sour-milk products of low fat content (whey, cottage cheese, cheese, kefir, yogurt, fermented baked milk). Easily digestible calcium is supplied to the body. This nutrient is extremely important for the cardiovascular system, as it reduces the permeability of the capillary wall, participates in blood coagulation mechanisms, and stimulates the regenerative potential of the myocardium.
3. Vegetables (Jerusalem artichoke, beets, potatoes, zucchini, pumpkin, cabbage, avocado, eggplant). These are natural sources of dietary fiber that have anti-sclerotic and detoxifying effects on the human body.
4. Leafy greens (parsley, celery, basil, cilantro,
5. Fruits, berries, dried fruits (lemon, cranberry, wild rose, viburnum, blackcurrant, grapes, apples, oranges, grapefruit, dried apricots, prunes). The composition of these products includes natural “strengtheners” of cell membranes (rutin, vitamin C, quercetin), which prevent capillary permeability when pressure increases. In addition, fruits and berries are rich in powerful antioxidants (polyphenols), which prevent the deposition of cholesterol on the arterial wall, and also increase the production of nitric oxide, which “creates” a vasodilating effect.
6. Unrefined vegetable oils (olive, cedar, linseed, camelina). These are natural sources of omega-3 fats that reduce the concentration of exogenous deposits in the vessels, reduce the fragility of the capillary wall, and prevent the development of inflammation in the heart muscle.
7. Whole grain products (rye bread, bran, green buckwheat, brown rice, unpolished millet, flattened oats, pasta from coarse wheat). An indispensable food for overweight hypertensive patients, since it contains “slow” carbohydrates that prevent the rapid transformation of glucose into fat.

Along with this, cereals are a source of dietary fiber and protein structures that accelerate the excretion of cholesterol metabolism products and stimulate intestinal peristalsis. With regular consumption of whole grain food, the rheological parameters of the blood are improved, the load on the kidneys and liver is reduced, and the permeability of the capillary bed increases.

8. Legumes (lentils, soybeans, beans). Champions among plants in the content of easily digestible protein. With regular consumption of legumes, the extensibility of the arterial wall increases, the risk of developing myocardial hypertrophy decreases, and the concentration of low density lipoproteins decreases.
9. Herbal teas. A rise in blood pressure, in 70% of cases, is accompanied by neurological disorders (insomnia, palpitations, headaches, anxiety states). To reduce psycho-emotional excitability in the diet of hypertension, it is important to include decoctions of sedative herbs: valerian, lemon balm, peppermint, chamomile, motherwort, hop, hawthorn, calendula, peony, oregano.

Remember, with moderate and severe hypertension, along with a healthy meal, it is important to follow the doctor’s instructions and use medications regularly.

Sample menu

This menu can be prescribed by a doctor and adjusted at his discretion for a more effective fight against hypertension.

Monday

Breakfast: 200 g of steamed oatmeal, 100 g of assorted dried fruits (figs, dates, dried apricots, prunes).

Lunch: 150 g of fruit mousse (banana, apple, persimmon).

Lunch: 150 g whole grain pasta, 80 g goulash, 70 g broccoli salad.

Lunch: 200 g of berry and cottage cheese dessert (fresh).

Dinner: 200 g of fish meatball, 30 ml of sour cream,

2 hours before sleep: 250 ml 1% kefir.

Tuesday

Breakfast: 200 g of rice and fruit porridge (raisins, banana, dates), 70 g of rye bread (dried), 20 ml of honey.

Lunch: 150 g berry and nut mix (grapes, cranberries, blackberries, almonds, hazelnuts).

Lunch: 200 ml of fish soup, 150 g of beet-prune salad, 10 g of garlic.

Lunch: 150 g potatoes (baked or boiled), 100 g tomato, 20 ml of camelina butter.

Dinner: 200 of buckwheat, 100 of sauerkraut, 70 of boiled turkey.

For 2 hours before sleep: 250 ml of green cocktail (kefir, greens, honey, banana).

Wednesday

Breakfast: 200 ml of chicory drink, 100 of cranberry jam (ground with sugar), 70 of whole grain bread (dried), 50 of walnuts.

Lunch: 200 g cottage cheese soufflé, 50 g raisin.

Lunch: 250 of lentil soup, 100 of vegetable slices, 15 ml of flax seed oil.

Lunch: 150 ml of yogurt, 100 of fresh fruit (strawberries, banana, apples).

Dinner: 200 of chicken breast with vegetables (stewed), 100 of beet-garlic salad, 40 of celery leaf.

2 hours before bedtime: 200 ml of homemade serum.

Thursday

Breakfast: 150 of apple pudding with raisins, 150 ml of wild rose tea, 30 ml of honey flower.

Lunch: 150 of berry compote, 100 of curd casserole.

Lunch: 200 of borsch with beans, 100 of rice meatballs, 50 of vegetable mix (tomato, cucumber, celery).

Snack: 150 g seaweed salad, 20 ml cedar oil

Dinner: 150 of mashed potatoes, 100 of squash and eggplant caviar, 70 of chicken cutlets (steam).

2 hours before bedtime: 150 ml of yogurt.

Friday

Breakfast: 150 of egg omelet, 100 of sauerkraut, 70 of bacon.

Lunch: 200 ml of hibiscus tea, 100 g of oatmeal cookies.

Lunch: 200 g pilaf, 100 g beet-garlic salad, 20 ml of flax seed oil.

Lunch: 200 g fruit and berry jelly.

Dinner: 250 of vegetable stew, 50 of boiled veal.

2 hours before bedtime: 250 ml of yogurt.

Saturday

Breakfast: 200 of oatmeal, 100 of ryazhenka, 70 of dried fruits (unabi, dates, raisins, prunes), 50 of galetes.

Lunch: 200 ml milkshake with cinnamon.

Lunch: 200 of zucchini eggplant caviar, 100 of bean puree, 50 of greens.

Snack: 200 ml of yogurt, 50 g of walnuts.

Dinner: 250 of green buckwheat, 150 of boiled vegetables (eggplants, beets, zucchini, carrots), 70 of chicken steak (baked).

2 hours before sleep: 200 ml serum.

Sunday

Breakfast: 200 ml of cocoa, 70 of bran bread, 50 of cheese, 30 of butter.

Lunch: 200 of seasonal berries, 50 of almonds.

Lunch: 150 of potato in uniform, 100 of cauliflower in batter, 100 of roasted turkey, 15 ml of camelina butter.

Lunch: 200 ml mint tea, 150 g oatmeal casserole.

Dinner: 150 of fish steak (stewed), 100 of vegetable mix (tomatoes, celery, pepper, cucumbers, garlic).

For 2 hours before sleep: 200 ml of kefir.

Beekeeping products against hypertension

To increase the effectiveness of antihypertensive therapy, together with traditional methods of treatment, they use waste products of bees (apiproducts).

Useful Properties

Propolis (“black wax”)

It has antiseptic, regenerating, antioxidant, hypocholesterolemic, diuretic (light) and anticoagulant (blood thinning) effects on the body. Regular intake of propolis improves lipid metabolism, increases myocardial endurance, decreases vascular wall stiffness, decreases platelet aggregation, and reduces pain in the heart region.

For people suffering from the first stage of hypertension, it is advisable to use pure propolis (under the tongue) or a phytocomposition with lingonberry juice (for 50 milliliters of nectar, 20 drops of 30% black wax tincture). For moderate and severe hypertension, the product is taken as an aqueous solution as an addition to the main treatment (35 drops of a 30% alcohol extract per 200 milliliters of liquid).

In addition, propolis-based ointment has an excellent hypotensive effect. To create the healing mixture will need: 5 grams of “black wax” (crushed), 15 milliliters of honey, 15 grams of butter. These ingredients are mixed and then heated to 40 degrees in a “water bath”. The cooled composition is applied to the feet, then wear cotton socks.

Royal Jelly

A powerful metabolic agent containing large concentrations of potassium and magnesium. Royal jelly improves the nutrition of the myocardium, stabilizes the heart rhythm, reduces psycho-emotional excitability, eliminates vascular spasm, strengthens the walls of capillaries, stimulates the synthesis of hemoglobin, removes excess fluid from the body.

At the first stage of the disease, bee milk is used mainly fresh (20-30 milligrams under the tongue). Before using the product, the oral cavity is thoroughly cleaned with vegetable oil.

With higher blood pressure (2 and 3 severity), royal jelly is used in combination with antihypertensive herbs (valerian, mint, horsetail, cudweed, motherwort, hop cones, sweet clover). To prepare the composition, the dry components are mixed in equal volumes. After that, 30 grams of the mixture is poured with 500 milliliters of hot water. Herbal tea is consumed three times a day, 100 milliliters (40 minutes before meals). After taking the decoction, 3 milliliters of a mixture of honey and royal milk are absorbed (proportion 1:100).

Wax moth extract

Bee parasite larvae (flame plugs) contain a unique digestive enzyme (cerase), which dissolves low-density lipoproteins. As a result, the concentration of endogenous deposits on the walls of arteries decreases, the vascular lumen increases, lipid blood parameters are normalized.

Bee venom

Effective remedy “for hypertension”, used in the form of “beekeeping”. Under their influence spasms of arteries are eliminated, the frequency of nerve impulses is normalized, the work of the cardiac muscle is stabilized, the peripheral kidney vessels relax.

Bee venom is an excellent remedy for the relief of hypertensive crises (in the early stages of the disease).

Remember, this method of reducing pressure is permissible to use only under the supervision of a physician (in order to avoid an allergic reaction). To increase the effectiveness of therapy, “healing” poison is combined with other api-products: propolis, honey, perga, royal jelly.

Perga (pollen)

It includes a huge amount of nutrients (vitamins, salts, organic acids, proteins, fats, enzymes), essential hypertension to replenish the resources spent (especially after diuretic therapy). In addition, perga normalizes the tone of the vascular bed, strengthens the capillary wall, promotes blood thinning, inhibits the oxidation of “good” lipoproteins, and reduces the permeability of veins and arteries (due to the high content of rutin).

To prevent hypertensive crises take 5 – 15 grams of bee pollen per day (start with 1 grams).

Honey

Natural source of easily digestible carbohydrates (glucose, fructose, oligose), enzymes (amylases, lipases, proteases, invertases), amino acids (lysine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, arginine, tyrosine), micro and macro elements (potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur, calcium ), vitamins (P, B5, B6).

Honey, due to the rich ingredient composition, strengthens the heart muscle, “calms” the nervous system, increases the elasticity of the vascular wall, improves cholesterol metabolism, eliminates anxiety, stabilizes the heart rate, relieves headaches. This product is used to treat mild hypertension.

For preventive purposes, to strengthen the heart muscle, it is advisable to use honey-hip mixture. To do this, 15 grams of crushed berries are poured 400 with milliliters of hot water (80 degrees) and infused in a 7 thermos – 8 hours. Then the resulting extract is filtered and combined with 15 milliliters of honey honey. The composition take 100 milliliters three times a day. Interestingly, chestnut and buckwheat honey has the most pronounced hypotensive effect.

In addition, apiproducts are used for the prevention and treatment of coronary heart disease, myocardial dystrophy, vascular atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, non-rheumatic myocarditis,

Conclusion

Nutrition in hypertension is an integral part of antihypertensive therapy, aimed at correcting metabolic disorders, maximizing cardiac activity and preventing the development of secondary complications.

With the first symptoms of high blood pressure (dizziness, nausea, pain in the heart, “double vision”), it is important, first of all, to reduce the daily portion of salt (up to 3 grams), increase the daily volume of drinking water (up to 2 x liters), eliminate animal fats from the diet, enrich the menu with potassium and magnesium.

Useful foods for hypertension: cereals (whole grain bread, cereals), dairy products (cottage cheese, whey, kefir, cheese, fermented baked milk), fruits (lemon, apples, grapes, banana, dates, dried apricots, prunes), berries (cranberries, blueberries , blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, watermelon, melon), greens (celery, onions, garlic, cilantro, basil, parsley), vegetables (potatoes, beets, carrots, cabbage), unrefined vegetable oils (cedar, camelina, linseed), legumes (lentils, peas, beans), nuts (hazelnuts, cashews, walnuts, almonds). To improve lipid metabolism (including the prevention of atherosclerosis), it is advisable to enrich the patient’s diet with beekeeping components (royal jelly, honey, propolis, and wax moth extract).

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