8 Foods and Drinks to Avoid with High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a common chronic disease, middle-aged and elderly people are high-risk groups. About 45% of adults in the United States have high blood pressure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Patients with this disease tend to show symptoms such as dizziness and fatigue, and many health problems over time. It is known that the cure of high blood pressure could be difficult. If you want to control your blood pressure levels, you should pay more attention to many diets. Here are 8 foods you must avoid with high blood pressure, keep reading and get to know.

1. Sugary Foods

Sugary foods have few health benefits and increase the risk of a person's accidental weight gain. It can also cause high blood pressure. A 2014 study showed that sugary foods may increase blood pressure even more than salt. The study also mentions that foods containing high fructose corn syrup are a factor in raising blood pressure.

2. Saturated fats

A person looking to lower their blood pressure or reduce their risk of high blood pressure should limit their intake of saturated fats. Examples of foods containing saturated fats include: processed meat, including sausages, burgers, and bacon. Full-fat dairy products, such as cream, milk, and cheese.

If you eat a lot of dairy products, please switch to low-fat dairy products and be careful with cheeses with high salt content. They are very harmful to blood pressure and blood lipids.

3. Alcohol

Drinking too much alcohol can raise a person’s blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association. It also can increase heart rate, constrict blood vessels, and increase blood pressure. Large, long-term drinking is more likely to induce arteriosclerosis and aggravate high blood pressure. Therefore, patients with high blood pressure should stay away from alcohol

4. Red meat

Red meat can raise a person’s blood pressure. The process of metabolizing red meat in the body may also release compounds that elevate blood pressure even more. A person should try to limit red meats as much as possible or choose leaner cuts. The redder the meat in color, the more likely it is to increase blood pressure levels.

5. Condiments

Patients with high blood pressure do not need to avoid all condiments. However, it is important to check the labels of condiments, because some products may contain a lot of sugar or sodium, so it is also important not to rely on the taste, because even non-salty condiments may contain high sodium.

Examples of condiments that may contain a lot of salt or sugar include ketchup, chili sauce, soy sauce, salad dressing, etc.

6. Canned, frozen and processed food

Canned, frozen and processed foods are very popular because these foods may be convenient to eat. However, many of these foods contain a large amount of added salt, and the flavor is maintained through canning, packaging or freezing.

For example, canned soup and frozen Pizza are the culprit of increased blood pressure. If you find that you really want to drink soup, you can consider making your own soup with a low-sodium formula, or look for low-sodium and low-sodium canned food, and stay away from packaged broth.

7. Strong Tea

Patients with high blood pressure should avoid drinking strong tea, especially strong black tea. Because black tea contains the highest content of theophylline, it can cause brain excitement, restlessness, insomnia, heart palpitations and other discomforts, thereby increasing blood pressure. Drinking light green tea is beneficial to the treatment of high blood pressure.

8. Caffeine

Caffeine can temporarily elevate blood pressure, causing very high blood pressure readings. People trying to limit their caffeine consumption may choose to drink less regular coffee or replace it with decaffeinated coffee.