Healthy blood pressure is linked to a healthy heart and a lower risk of heart attack and stroke.
What you eat can directly impact your blood pressure by raising or lowering it.
Read on for the best and worst foods to eat for healthy blood pressure.
Blood pressure is a measurement of the force of blood flowing through blood vessels.
If the force becomes too high, it raises blood pressure.
Specifically, foods high in sodium.
But, theAmerican Heart Associationhas even stricter guidelines, recommending no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day.
The average American consumes 3,440 mg of sodium per day.
But don’t throw out the saltshaker just yet.
Only 11% of sodium intake in the U.S. is from the salt used in the home.
Most is from processed foods and eating out.
Here are the biggest offenders.
Red and processed meats are the reason burgers and sandwiches top the list when it comes to sodium intake.
Turn the bags over while shopping and check the nutrition label for sodium.
Anything with a Daily Value of 20% or more is considered high in sodium.
Choose products with a DV for sodium less than 20% when you’ve got the option to.
The best option is to buy plain whole grains and season them yourself.
One can of tomato soup typically has about 1,000 mg sodium.
Fried foods
Fried foods are bad news for blood pressure.
They are typically full of saturated fat and also often pack in the sodium.
Check the nutrition label for a Daily Value of sodium less than 20% for the meal.
Meals with meat and cheese are higher in sodium.
Salty snacks
Think chips, nuts and popcorn.
For healthy blood pressure, choose unsalted or reduced-sodium versions most of the time.
Eat pickles in moderation for healthy blood pressure.
A drink is defined as 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer or 1.5 ounces of liquor.
There is no reason to start drinking alcohol if you don’t currently drink.
It’s low in red meat, sugar-sweetened beverages and processed foods with added sugar and salt.
Potassium helps lower blood pressure by helping the kidneys flush out excess sodium.
See our list ofhigh-potassium foods.
Calcium and magnesium are also important nutrients for healthy blood pressure, as they help blood vessels relax.
Bananas
One medium banana has 422 mg of sodium-flushing potassium.
Mix bananas into oatmeal or top your toast with peanut butter and a banana for breakfast.
Drizzle them with olive oil for heart-healthy fats.
Learn makes potatoes healthy.
Leafy greens are also high in calcium and magnesium.
Beans and legumes
Beans and legumes are high in potassium and magnesium.
One cup of white beans delivers 615 mg of potassium and 89 mg of magnesium.
Men should get 420 mg ofmagnesiumper day and women should get 320 mg per day.
Just rinse beans if buying them canned to help reduce sodium.
Go for low-fat varieties most often to limit saturated fat intake.
Most men and women should aim for 1,000 mg of calcium per day.
Women over the age of 50 should get 1,200 mg per day.
One cup of low-fat yogurt has 415 mg of calcium.
Mix heart-healthy berries into plain yogurt or swap out sour cream for plain yogurt in tacos or chili.
The DASH diet is proven to help lower blood pressure.
