Hypertensive patients can reduce risk factors and subsequently lower their blood pressure by rationally regulating their diet and improving their dietary structure.
According to Sun Jixin, an associate researcher at the Hebei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, it is important to limit salt intake in daily diet, which should be gradually reduced to less than 6 grams per day (a flat cap of a regular beer bottle, without the rubber gasket, is about 6 grams of salt). The amount of salt referred to here includes the total amount of salt used in cooking and the amount converted from sodium in other foods.
Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, and increase the intake of calcium-rich foods. Common high-calcium foods include fresh milk, beans and their products. It is advisable to eat more fresh dark green vegetables, kelp, and fungus. Eat no less than 8 liang (400 grams) of fresh vegetables and 2 to 4 liang (100 to 200 grams) of fruit daily.
Control and reduce the intake of fat and total calories, and moderately increase the intake of high-quality protein. Choose animal foods such as fish, poultry, and lean meat. Eat more bean products and control and reduce fat intake.
Limit alcohol consumption and smoking. Hypertensive patients should preferably not drink alcohol. If they do, the daily consumption should not exceed 1 liang (50 grams) of liquor converted from other alcoholic beverages. Smoking is also a bad habit for hypertensive patients; quitting helps to stabilize blood pressure and alleviate symptoms.
Improving dietary structure should be based on each individual's actual situation, with targeted adjustments, not a one-size-fits-all approach. Improving dietary structure is not an overnight task; hypertensive patients should overcome difficulties and gradually make their dietary structure more reasonable.