Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension

Usually patients with hypertension (high blood pressure) take medications to reduce or control their blood pressure. But is there a method to control it except for taking medications?

The answer is yes. Do you know what DASH diet is? The full name is Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, which is a dietary pattern promoted by the U.S.-based National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to prevent and control hypertension.

If patients follow the DASH diet, then after about two weeks, their hypertension can reduce 8% -10%. Besides, the diet can also reduce blood fatty, lower risks of getting cardiovascular disease and contributes to health.

1. Your staple diet (at least 2/3) should be whole grains and roots food such as black rice, oat, oatmeal, brown rice, buckwheat, mung bean, coix seed, ormosia, sweet potato, potato, taro, otus root, chestnut, chufa, yarn.

2. Eat five portions of vegetables and five portions of fruit rich in potassium every day such as spinage, swamp cabbage, amaranth, leek, golden mushroom, green asparagus, bamboo shoot, guava, kiwi fruit, peach, muskmelon, Hami melon, banana etc.

3. Drink two servings of low-fat or non-fat dairy products every day during meals or desserts.

4. Eat white meat instead of red meat.

White meat includes chicken, fish, duck, goose meat etc.

Red meat includes pork, beef, mutton etc.

5. Eat nuts (walnut kernel, sesame, cashew nuts, pine nuts etc.) and use good oil to cook(such as salad oil,,olive oil, sunflower oil, canola oil instead of cream, lard oil, coconut oil and palm oil).