Recommended foods

Which foods are recommended for high blood pressure results from the dietary guidelines, which recommend a balanced, low-salt, Mediterranean diet. With regard to meat and sausages, uncured, low-fat, white meat is recommended, such as skinless poultry, lean beef or veal, cooked ham and cold cuts. In general, however, the consumption of meat should be limited to 2-3 times per week and red meat should be avoided.

The same applies to fish. Preference should be given to lean, low-fat fish such as plaice, cod, saithe, pike-perch, etc. But also so-called fatty fish, such as tuna, herring, salmon or sardines can be eaten from time to time, as they are rich in good omega-3 fatty acids, which can originally contribute to lowering blood pressure.

Care should be taken to ensure that sufficient fruit and vegetables are consumed, preferably raw or steamed, preferably a small portion at each meal. This ensures a sufficient intake of magnesium, calcium and potassium. For milk production, low-fat varieties should be used, such as low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt, buttermilk, kefir, low-fat curd cheese, low-fat cheese varieties or robust cream cheese. In general, fats and oils should be saved, but good fats such as sunflower oil, sesame oil, coconut oil or olive oil, i.e. foods rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, should be preferred.Furthermore, wholemeal products should be used in the bread and bakery products sector, as well as low-fat and low-salt baked goods (fruit cakes, yeast dough, quark and oil dough, wholemeal pastries). Drinks should be as sugar- and alcohol-free as possible, tea, low-salt water or fruit and vegetable juices without added sugar.

Food that you should avoid

Since the diet and thus the composition of the food we eat can also influence our blood pressure to a certain extent, it is certainly an option to avoid certain foods or reduce their consumption in order to benefit from a positive influence on blood pressure regulation. An important point of attack is the consumption of salt: Salt as a water-binding or water-driving mineral (sodium chloride, NaCl) can, if consumed in excess, help to bind more water in the body and remove it from the blood, so that the blood becomes viscous, the flow property decreases and the pressure in the bloodstream has to increase to drive the blood forward. Therefore, if high blood pressure exists, salty foods (e.g. cured meat/sausages, smoked/cured fish, salty pastries, etc.)

and excessive seasoning of food should be avoided. The traffic of liquorice should also be avoided. Very few people know that this liquorice stimulates the body’s own production of cortisol in the adrenal cortices, which in turn can lead to an increase in blood pressure (cortisol is one of the body’s stress hormones).

The consumption of red meat (beef, veal, pork, lamb, sheep, goat) can also promote the development of high blood pressure. Especially red meat can cause the body to over acidify in the digestion. On the other hand, it contains a lot of unhealthy fats that increase cholesterol levels and in the long run increase the risk of vascular calcification and high blood pressure.

Finally, various stimulants such as alcohol, coffee and cigarettes should be avoided. What they all have in common is that they can have a direct influence on blood pressure: they activate the sympathetic nervous system, thereby increasing the heart rate and also lead to the blood vessels becoming narrower – all of which together increase blood pressure. Reduced consumption or even complete abstinence is therefore beneficial to health.