HTN Diet

A healthy diet for hypertension includes:

• Control calories:
• Eat just enough calories to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
• Eat quality fats:
• Use virgin olive oil and other unsaturated, low-cholesterol fats.
• Eat foods rich in omega-3 fats
• Eat the right amount of fats, carbohydrates and protein:
• Limit your fat intake to 20 or 30 percent, but don't substitute simple carbohydrates for fat.
• Less than 7% of the day's total calories from saturated fat.
• Up to 10% of the day's total calories from polyunsaturated fat.
• Up to 20% of the day's total calories from monounsaturated fat
• Avoid fad diets:
• Eat a well-rounded diet instead.
• Eat small, frequent meals.
• Avoid large and heavy meals.
• Limit cholesterol in diet:
• To less than 200 milligrams a day.
• Limit iron intake:
• Too much iron can increase atherosclerosis.
• Eat enough dietary fiber:
• Whole grains are best.
• Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables
• Check with your doctor about supplementing your diet with B vitamins:
• Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
• Vitamin B3 (niacin)
• Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
• Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)
• Reduce salt in your diet:
• No more than 1,500 milligrams per day is optimal.
• Avoid cooking with salt.
• Avoid fast food.
• Avoid salty foods, such as pickles, cured meats, salty snacks, and canned soup.
• Avoid seasonings that contain sodium, such as soy sauce, steak sauce, garlic and onion salt, and monosodium glutamate.
• Do not add salt to your food after it is prepared.
• Read food labels and buy foods that are low in salt.
• When eating out, ask that your food be prepared without salt.

Last Updated: Dec 16, 2010 References
Authors: Stephen J. Schueler, MD; John H. Beckett, MD; D. Scott Gettings, MD
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