Foods that Increase Blood Pressure

A diet high in salt is one of the main causes of high blood pressure, which is why you should always limit your salt intake, even if you do not have high blood pressure. Salt is often called the silent killer, as it increases your blood volume, and slowly damages your arteries, which leads to deadly diseases, like heart disease or stroke.

Remember that foods like pickles, dehydrated products, pre-packaged soups or meals, cold cuts, certain cheeses, french fries, chips, etc., are very high in salt and should be enjoyed in moderation. To avoid eating too much salt, you should cook your own meals as much as possible, and replace the salt with other flavors like garlic, onion, herbs and spices.

Cold cuts especially fatty ones such as chorizo, sausage or ham, are also high in salt, and they could be a major contributor to your blood pressure. Fast food also contains a lot of processed meats, like hamburgers and hotdogs, and are very dangerous for you if you have hypertension.

If you have high blood pressure, you should minimize your intake and always opt for food that are low in salt, saturated fats and cholesterol.

Caffeine-rich drinks such as coffee, tea and fizzy caffenated drinks, increase your heart rate and cause a short but drastic rise in blood pressure. People with high blood pressure problems should have these drinks in moderation. For those who suffer from the opposite condition, drinking a couple cups of coffee or three cups of black or green tea a day is not harmful.

High-fat meats (over 10%) also increase your blood pressure. Fat and cholesterol deposit on the walls of your arteries, making them more rigid and the opening smaller. This makes it more difficult to the blood to pass through, and causes a greater force to be applied on the artery walls. Even if you have low blood pressure, it is not recommended to overeat saturated fats, or you may be at risk of other health problems like high cholesterol and triglycerides.

If you have hypertension, always opt for lean meats.

Like caffeinated drinks, chocolate increases your heart rate due to its content of theobromine. This is why it should be avoided if you have hypertension. Whereas if you have hypotension you can include it in your diet but you should choose ones that are 70% cocoa or more, because they are low in fat and provide many benefits to the body.

Regular alcohol use can dramatically and dangerously increase your blood pressure. Having more than three drinks significantly increases blood pressure and people who binge drink are greatly at risk of developing hypertension. If you are hypertensive, it is recommended to restrict alcoholic drinks as much as possible.

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to Foods that Increase Blood Pressure, we recommend you visit our Diseases & secondary effects category.