Effective Foods for Low Blood Pressure

Fluctuating blood pressure has been a common health concern in recent times. Low blood pressure or hypotension is caused when the blood flow through blood vessels is lower than the normal pressure. To maintain normal blood pressure, individuals should resort to medication and treatment and the proper diet.

Are you wondering about the most suitable food for low blood pressure? This article will give you an ultimate guide regarding the food to choose and avoid in such conditions!

There is no particular measurement to define low blood pressure. However, most healthcare practitioners consider blood pressure under 120/80 to be lower than usual. The characteristics include light-headedness, dizziness, racing heart and fatigue. Doctors usually prescribe a diet food for low blood pressure apart from medication. This diet depends on the severity of the condition in patients. The following list will give you a fair idea regarding effective food types for low blood pressure.

1. Salty Food

Extra salty food items can be considered as good food for low blood pressure. This is because salt or sodium chloride is responsible for affecting hormones that control the water balance in the human body. High salt intake can therefore boost blood pressure. You can include the following ways to incorporate more salt into your daily diet.

• Preparing saltwater by adding a pinch of salt in a glass of water
• Adding more salt in food seasonings
• Eating olives or anchovies, which are salty foods 
• Eating salted nuts as snacks 

Apart from this, you can include food items such as canned soup, smoked fish, pickled items and cottage cheese, as these are salty. These can serve as tasty and effective foods for low BP in your diet.

2. Folate Food

Folate is a vital B vitamin responsible for producing white and red blood cells in the marrow. Thus, having a significant amount of folate can be helpful for people suffering from low blood pressure issues. Food items such as beef liver and green vegetables, including Brussels sprouts, asparagus, dark leafy greens, are often considered as things to eat in low BP since these have rich folate content. You can also try oranges, beans, nuts, peas, and other folate-rich foods, including orange juice.

3. Vitamin B12 Food

Doctors often consider items with rich Vitamin B12 as the best food for low blood pressure. As a higher plasma homocysteine level is linked to blood pressure, the intake of Vitamin B12 contributes to low blood pressure by reducing this level. Dairy products are affluent in Vitamin B12, such as yoghurt, low-fat milk, fortified plant-based milk, and cheese. Moreover, food items such as eggs, fortified cereals and nutritional yeast are other foods to eat in low BP since these are rich in Vitamin B12.

4. Fluids

Doctors often suggest customising the diets of low blood pressure patients with more fluid contents. There are chances that your blood pressure might drop if your body is dehydrated. Thus, if you are looking for foods for low blood pressure, make sure that you drink enough water and other beverages in your daily diet. Generally, doctors suggest an intake of a minimum of two litres of water in a day, which should increase in hot weather.

5. Caffeine

Food and drinks with high caffeine contents can be suitable foods to eat for low BP. Some researchers believe that caffeine can block a hormone that keeps your arteries widened. Moreover, it can also cause a higher release of adrenalin, increasing blood pressure. Thus, drinking beverages with high caffeine can cause a temporary spike in blood pressure by increasing the heart rate, effective for patients suffering from low blood pressure.

Thus, it is evident that incorporating adequate food for low blood pressure can help you recover from your condition. However, you should also be aware of the food items you need to avoid for keeping your blood pressure in check. There are no such food items that one should avoid in such conditions. You should maintain specific standards while customising diet food for low BP patients.

1. Avoid Alcohol

Doctors mostly suggest low BP patients to avoid alcohol since alcohol consumption can worsen orthostatic hypotension. Thus, if you are trying to incorporate the best food for low BP in your diet, try limiting alcohol contents and replacing it with water and other beverages.

2. Salt Proportion

When customising your diet with salty food, you should meet the correct proportions. You will need assistance from your physician or a dietician for this. They will be able to set the proper measurement of salt intake based on your condition since overconsumption of salt can result in high blood pressure.

Therefore, it would be safe to say that low blood pressure is a serious health concern, and it is mandatory to treat it with proper measures. As this article discussed, having foods suitable for low blood pressure can be effective in this regard. Such a diet will fight this condition and maintain normal blood pressure.