1 out of 4 people you know may have or is bound to have high blood pressure which is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke.  

How major? According to WHO, hypertension causes approximately 96% of deaths worldwide – 51% due to stroke and 45% due to heart disease. Aside from these serial killers, hypertension also contributes to other devastating diseases such blindness, and the most tragic of them all kidney failure. 

But this tragedy comes with the greatest good news: hypertension is 100% preventable and manageable.

Here are 4 Benefits of Eating Healthy for Hypertension to help you stay “under pressure.”

1. You get to get rid of table salt.

Table salt is not just those white salty crystals that you sprinkle over food. It includes other items you use as toppings or dips such as seasoning, ketchup, mayonnaise, cheese, and dressings. In the Philippines some popular table salt options are fish sauce, soy sauce, and fermented shrimp paste. 

It is not recommended to have a full bottle of these condiments on your dining table, first, because it is so easy to go overboard with them, and second, the food served usually has more than enough sodium – you just have to get used to the lighter and cleaner flavors of the main ingredients. 

2. You get to enjoy food made from fresh and natural ingredients.

Farm fresh products have less sodium than their processed counterparts, this is because salt is the most popular preservative used to prolong shelf life. Going natural means being more in touch with your food because knowing what goes into your body gives you more control over your health outcomes. 

If the barrier for going natural is convenience and spoilage of fresh goods, it is better to purchase frozen goods rather than their canned or bottled counterparts. 

3. You get to eat more fiber.

The more you weigh, the more blood you need to supply oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. This increase in blood volume circulated through your blood vessels increases the pressure on your artery walls. This is why losing at least 7% of excess weight already shows significant changes in blood pressure. 

The key to weight loss is not actually eating less but eating more of the good stuff – colorful antioxidant rich vegetables! Eating more low glycemic carbs prior to your entree makes you feel full without giving you the caloric load. These low glycemic carbs are also rich in betaglucans which are linked to a reduction in plasma cholesterol and insulin resistance. 

4. You get to increase your potassium intake.

Evidence shows that increasing potassium intake significantly reduces blood pressure since it balances out the effects of sodium. However, our usual diet has loads of sodium and negligible levels of potassium. 

Potassium is found in a variety of unrefined foods, including beans and peas, nuts, leafy vegetables such as spinach, cabbage and parsley, and fruits such as bananas, papayas and dates. Food processing significantly reduces the amount of potassium hence a diet high in processed food and low in fresh fruits and vegetables translate to a higher risk of developing hypertension.