Drinking and Eating with High Blood Pressure: What To Consume Besides Water

If there is one perfect drink that people can think of when they are ill or sick, most will say water. Some will even tell you “You should drink eight glasses of water a day.” Now, the question is, “Do you need to keep drinking eight glasses of water a day if you have hypertension?”

No, you don’t have to.

American actress/health spokesperson Suzanne Somers once said that people should drink water for at least 8 glasses a day since 2-3 quarts of water is lost everyday due to bodily functions.

“You should drink at least eight glasses of water a day in order to stay regular, lose weight, and detoxify. Our bodies are mostly made of water, and yet we lose two to three quarts of it every day through perspiration and other bodily functions.”

Hypertension aside, what about scientific proof that 8 glasses of water a day is needed to stay healthy? Everyone has heard that advice. However, there is no evidence that it is absolutely applicable to everyone. In fact, this 8 glasses a day rule is not supported by the Institute of Medicine’s Report on Dietary Recommendations for water intake.

“While it might appear useful to estimate an average requirement for water, an estimated average requirement based on data is not possible.”

In addition, the 8 glasses guideline is erroneously interpreted. If you may ask where this guideline came from, the answer is from the National Research Council’s Food and Nutrition Board. In 1945, they recommended that individuals should drink 2.5 liters a day. And if we are going to read the next sentence that is apparently ignored, it says

“Most of this [water] quantity is contained in prepared foods.”

This last sentence that was not given attention to is what made the guideline wrongly understood as “8 glasses of water should be drunk each day”. It is clear though, that whatever “prepared foods” they mentioned, water is not the only option to be healthy.

What To Eat

A healthy, well-balanced diet includes foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol. The Mayo Clinic termed this as the DASH diet, which means Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet. Food groups that are included in the key element of this diet includes:

• Fruits and vegetables

• Whole grains and lean proteins

• Non-fat dairy products

DASH diet was proven to be effective and can reduce blood pressure to acceptable levels.

What To Drink

Water doesn’t contain calories, sugars or sweeteners as well as caffeine that may increase the risk and actually cause a spike in blood pressure. It is found in juice, fruits, and vegetables. Aside from water, if you are thinking about other drinks that lower blood pressure, we’ve got a lot of option.

• Berry juice

Strawberries and blueberry juices contain plant pigments called flavonoids that help the blood to flow easier by promoting the relaxation of the arterial muscle. Some flavonoids also prevent platelet aggregation or clumping of the platelets, which is believed to be a contributing factor in the development of hypertension.

• Herbal Teas

A variety of herbal teas also contain flavonoids, these includes green tea and white tea that contains the highest amount of flavonoids. Drinking herbal teas can help reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

• Beet juice

Vitamin-rich beetroot juice has shown to be effective in lowering the systolic blood pressure. Beets contain beneficial nutrients called ‘nitrates’. Once inside the body, the nitrates are converted to nitrites, which aids in increasing blood flow. Aside from nitrates, beets contain folate and potassium, both useful in controlling high blood pressure.

Try consuming some, or all (if you can), of the foods and drinks mentioned above and expect to notice a change in your blood pressure readings pretty soon. They are just better for your health!