Blood Pressure

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123.   Some tips to reduce salt intake are:

• Alter cooking methods – add salt, if needed, at the serving stage.
• Use tasty alternatives for salt, such as lemon juice, herbs, spices, balsamic vinegar to flavour foods.
• If your dietitian permits, use salt substitutes which contain less sodium chloride and more potassium chloride.
• Avoid using MSG, baking powder or sodium bicarbonate in cooking.
• Avoid adding additional salt on cooked food at the table and remove the salt shaker from the table.
• Avoid sprinkling salt on salads, fruits and yoghurt.
• While using canned foods, throw away the brine and wash foods thoroughly with fresh water before cooking.
• Before using, boil meat, processed meat, poultry and fish in water and then throw away the water in which most of the salt would have bleached.

Eat less Fat/Oil

124.   Too much dietary fat, especially saturated fatty acid (SFA) variety like butter and ghee, can clog arteries damaged by hypertension and cause atherosclerosis. However, some fats are good for you. Increasing the intake of Omega-3, a monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), can help lower BP. Most people eat much more Omega-6, a polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) found in vegetable oils like sunflower, safflower than Omega-3. Your body converts excess Omega-6 into a substance that constricts your arteries. That makes your heart work harder to pump blood throughout your body which increases your BP. However, switching from SFA and PUFA to MUFA can be an easy way to lower your BP as your body converts MUFA into a gentler substance that does not tighten your arteries as much. Experts suggest that SFA, PUFA and MUFA should be consumed in the ratio of 1:1:1.

125.   Recent research suggests that the Omega-3 fatty acid directly modulates intracellular calcium ion (Ca₂+) signaling in vascular smooth cells, resulting in a vasodilatation effect and lowering of BP. Omega-3 oils are also effective in lowering triglycerides and bad cholesterol (LDL) and increasing good cholesterol (HDL). In addition Omega-3 oils can help prevent primary or secondary coronary heart disease.

126.   Some of the rich natural sources of Omega-3 oil are oily fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and tuna, flaxseeds, walnuts, almonds, canola, soyabean, wheat germ and some green leafy vegetables like collard and turnip greens. Taking 2 tablespoons of flaxseed oil daily can help improve your BP.