Dietary Dangers
High blood pressure is a concern not just for the elderly but for anyone with diabetes or even pregnant women. High blood pressure is also a huge concern with the ever-growing obesity epidemic in the United States. In 2020, it was found that obesity was responsible for anywhere from 65 to 78 percent of hypertension cases.
Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure. Since this is such a growing concern within our society, it’s very important for everyone to avoid high blood pressure foods and for anyone with high blood pressure to eat foods that will lower blood pressure.
Below I’ve compiled a list of foods to avoid with high blood pressure or if you are looking to make sure you manage your blood pressure to avoid possible future hypertension.
Avoid These 10 Foods to Manage High Blood Pressure
1. Chips
Any salty junk food is considered bad for people with hypertension because the sodium in salt can contribute to an increase in blood pressure. Although I’ve highlighted chips as a contributor, salty junk foods can contribute to high blood pressure and should be avoided.
2. Processed Meats
Hot dogs, salami, luncheon meats and other processed meats have been linked to an increase in blood pressure. Consuming too much processed meats has also been shown to lead to other cardiovascular diseases outside of high BP. This is due to the sodium, cholesterol and fats in these meats.
In fact, the Penn State College of Medicine found that Americans who consumed more processed meats in their diets were more likely to have high blood pressure. These meats are also full of trans fats, which are very bad for you.
3. Canned Soup
Like salty snacks, canned soup is another culprit for containing high levels of sodium and is directly linked to increased blood pressure. While canned soup is very convenient to make, like many processed foods, it’s important to avoid or limit how much of it you eat if you have problems with your blood pressure. But don’t fret, you can keep canned soup in your diet if you purchase the low-sodium versions.
4. Frozen Meals & Pizza
Unfortunately, one of the main ways of preserving frozen foods is by adding a lot of salt. This means that eating frozen meals and pizzas can significantly increase your sodium intake and increase your blood pressure. It’s best to avoid these if you have high blood pressure and instead try to have fresh homemade meals.
5. Pickled Foods
The main reason pickled foods should be avoided by anyone looking to decrease blood pressure is that a lot of salt and sugar are used to preserve the vegetables. You can still consume pickled and preserved foods, but you must read the label. Alternatively, you can make your own homemade pickles that are low in sugar and sodium.
6. Alcohol
There is a lot of research on the dangers of too much alcohol consumption. According to the Mayo Clinic, having more than three drinks in one sitting can temporarily raise blood pressure, and repeated binge drinking can cause long-term blood pressure hypertension. Binge drinking is having four drinks or more in two hours for women and five drinks or more in two hours for men. If you have high blood pressure, you should avoid alcohol consumption altogether or keep your alcohol consumption to a minimum.
7. Cheese
While cheese can be a great snack with lots of nutrients, it is also high in saturated fats, sodium and cholesterol, all contributing to blood pressure hypertension. Cheese is also considered a processed food, and as I’ve mentioned before, processed foods should be avoided if you have high blood pressure.
Of course, this doesn’t mean all cheese is bad. Calcium has been shown to lower blood pressure, and most cheeses are full of it. You can continue to eat cheese even on a blood pressure diet, but you should ensure it is low-sodium and low-fat or reduced-fat cheese.
8. Condiments
Condiments are another processed food that should be avoided as they are bad blood pressure foods. If you’re on a hypertension-pressure diet, you don’t need to stop eating all condiments, but you should always check the labels to make sure that they are low-sodium and low-sugar and used in moderation.
9. Red Meat
Just like processed meats, red meat has been linked to high blood pressure. This is because when the human body digests red meat, it produces a compound called Trimethylamine-NOxide (TMAO), which is now linked to cardiovascular disease. Red meat is also high in sodium, saturated fat and trans fats, which can all be responsible for increasing blood pressure.
10. Plastic Bottles and Canned Beverages
This one shocked me because I drink canned beverages all the time, and I didn’t realize the damage I may be causing to my body. It turns out that a lot of beverages that come in a can contain the chemical bisphenol A, also called BPA. BPA is known to cause hypertension, and this study found that two hours after consuming a canned beverage, BPA levels in urine increased by 1600%.
Daily blood pressure variance increased by 4.5 mm Hg after drinking two cans. No increases were seen when drinking the same beverage out of a prepackaged glass bottle. The bottom line is that if you’re on a blood pressure diet, you should only drink beverages that come in glass bottles; avoid plastic bottles and cans at all costs.
Steer Clear
Yes, there are many more foods to avoid with high blood pressure that cause hypertension, but these top 10 culprits are a great place to start when changing your diet to be more blood pressure friendly.