Nutritional prevention and treatment are very important for people with high blood pressure. The evidence for potassium's blood pressure-lowering effect has been consistent across different types of studies. Therefore, ensuring an adequate intake of potassium in the diet is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure.
Three minerals are particularly important in the nutritional prevention and treatment of high blood pressure: potassium, calcium, and magnesium. The relationship between potassium and blood pressure is as follows: ① Potassium dilates blood vessels directly, reducing the pressure of blood on the vessel walls; ② Sodium has a direct effect of raising blood pressure, and potassium can promote the excretion of sodium, thereby lowering blood pressure. The evidence for potassium's blood pressure-lowering effect has been consistent across different types of studies. Therefore, ensuring an adequate intake of potassium in the diet is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure.
Dietary recommendations for increasing potassium intake: ① Choose foods rich in potassium; ② Select salt that is low in sodium and high in potassium.
While paying attention to increasing potassium intake, it is also important to focus on supplementing calcium and magnesium. Calcium can accelerate the excretion of sodium and has a blood pressure-lowering effect. Regularly consuming foods rich in calcium has a significant auxiliary effect on treating high blood pressure. Magnesium causes the dilation of peripheral blood vessels. When there is a magnesium deficiency, angiotensin and vasoconstrictors increase, which can cause vasoconstriction and lead to an increase in peripheral resistance. Increasing magnesium intake can dilate peripheral blood vessels and lower blood pressure. This is especially important for patients with high blood pressure who are taking diuretics, as urinary magnesium excretion also increases, making magnesium supplementation even more crucial.
It should be noted that when a patient also has chronic renal insufficiency, potassium and calcium supplementation require special attention. Otherwise, it may lead to either impaired potassium excretion and accumulation in the body, causing electrolyte imbalance, or increased calcium metabolism,加重 the kidney's burden and worsening the condition.
There are several common foods that people with high blood pressure can consume in moderation daily. They are:
(1) Legumes. Whether red beans, mung beans, soybeans, black beans, or kidney beans, all legumes are very rich in potassium. Tofu, a soy product, is also relatively rich in calcium and magnesium. Therefore, tofu is a food that patients with high blood pressure should eat daily. An appropriate amount for adults is 200-300 grams per day. Red beans, mung beans, and kidney beans, when combined with grains such as rice, oats, millet, and corn to make five-grain rice, eight-treasure congee, red bean soup, or mung bean soup, are all excellent choices.
(2) Edible fungi. In the United States, it is recommended that the public consume a small amount of edible fungi daily. This recommendation is highly applicable to people with high blood pressure. Shitake mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms are relatively high in potassium, calcium, and magnesium. In addition, they contain a large amount of other phytochemicals and dietary fiber, which are needed by people with high blood pressure.
(3) Green leafy vegetables. Many people with high blood pressure have experienced the good blood pressure-lowering therapeutic effect of eating celery. This is because green leafy vegetables contain potassium, calcium, and magnesium, and celery is indeed a typical representative of such vegetables for lowering blood pressure. Generally, the darker the color of the green vegetable, the higher its content of potassium, calcium, and magnesium. On the same plant, the leaves are darker than the stalks, and therefore, their content of active ingredients is naturally higher. When eating celery, be sure to eat the leaves along with the stalks.
[Nutrition Tips]
Foods rich in potassium:
Whole grains. Such as bran, brown rice, whole wheat
Legumes. Such as red beans, fava beans, lentils
Fruits and vegetables. Such as dried apricots, winter mushrooms, bamboo shoots, seaweed, celery.
Foods rich in calcium:
Dairy products. Such as yogurt, cheese
Legumes. Such as tofu
Fruits and vegetables. Such as green leafy vegetables, seaweed, black wood ear mushrooms
Seafood. Such as dried tiny shrimp
Nuts. Such as walnuts, almonds, sesame paste
Pouring sauce tofu
Foods rich in magnesium:
Edible fungi. Such as shitake mushrooms
Legumes. Such as tofu
Fruits and vegetables. Such as spinach, chives, celery, endive, kale
Shitake mushroom stewed chicken