Diet

A way to lower and control high blood pressure is through the food being
consumed. Dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) include healthy
guidelines for those with high blood pressure. Certain food groups are
included in DASH, which are listed below (examples of each are also listed).

• Fruits: apples, oranges, strawberries, mango, melon, bananas

• Vegetables: collard greens, yellow squash, tossed salad, cabbage with
peppers, turnip greens
• Low-fat dairy: pudding, yogurt, skim milk, cool whip, cottage cheese
• Grains: whole wheat bread, pasta, rice, and cereal
• Nuts, seeds, dried beans: peanuts, pistachios, almonds, walnuts,
kidney beans, pinto beans,
• Meat, poultry, fish: skinless chicken thighs, catfish filet, pork chops,
turkey

Rankins, J., Sampson, W., Brown, B. & Jenkins-Salley, T. (2005). Dietary

approaches to stop

hypertension (DASH) intervention reduces blood pressure among

hypertensive African American patients in a neighborhood health care
center. Journal of Nutrition Education & Behavior, 37(5). Retrieved
February 26, 2009 from http://ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery.

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is sometimes referred to as the “silent killer”
because it usually has no warning signs or apparent symptoms.
Typically, high blood pressure is recognized when other serious
problems arise. Serious problems that could result from high blood
pressure are heart disease, stroke, and heart failure. Other
complications of high blood pressure are damage to the eyes, possibly
even blindness, kidney disease, and kidney failure. However, high
blood pressure can be easily diagnosed and controlled. Also, high blood
pressure can be treated through lifestyle modifications. Some
modifications to consider are weight control, exercise, healthy dieting,
and limiting alcohol use. Checking one’s blood pressure regularly can
 also help eliminate the chances of developing such serious
complications as heart disease, kidney failure, and stroke.

• Heart disease: may cause hardening or stiffening of arteries,

which decreases the amount of blood flow to the heart muscle
and other body parts. Heart disease is the leading cause of
death in the United States
• Heart failure: heart cannot pump and produce enough blood for
the bodies needs.
• Stroke: can result because of a rupture or block of an artery that
supplies the brain with blood and oxygen. Stroke is the third
leading cause of death in the United States.
• Kidney disease/failure: high blood pressure can thicken and
narrow the blood vessels with the kidney, leading to decreased
filtering of wastes. This build up of wastes can cause great
damage to the kidneys.

Center for Disease Control (2009). High blood pressure. Retrieved March 25,
2009 from

http://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/.