Dietary Recommendations Include Prioritizing Unprocessed Foodsĭietary recommendations from the NHLBI - called the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or the DASH diet for short - promote eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean sources of protein such as fish and poultry, beans, nuts and vegetable oils, while also limiting saturated fats, refined grains, processed foods, and added sodium. “Natural nutrients are generally more packed with good antioxidants, which may get damaged when prepared for storage,” says John Higgins, MD, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at the UTHealth McGovern Medical School in Houston.
Eating a diet of nutrient-rich, low-sodium foods can lower blood pressure naturally, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). If you’ve been diagnosed with hypertension, or high blood pressure, your doctor has probably advised you to make a number of lifestyle modifications, such as exercise and dietary changes.
