High Blood Pressure Diet: Best Food and Drinks

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is one of the most common health conditions in the world. It is defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) values of 130mmHg or higher and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of more than 80 mmHg.1 High blood pressure is considered the most important modifiable risk factor for premature heart disease, meaning eating a heart-healthy diet is important for preventing high blood pressure and, subsequently, heart disease.

Currently, up to 45% of adults worldwide have high blood pressure.1 High blood pressure increases your risk of heart disease by hardening and narrowing your arteries. This leads to an increased workload on the heart and negatively impacts your heart’s ability to pump blood throughout your body. This excess stress on your heart can eventually lead to heart failure.1 High blood pressure can negatively impact other aspects of your health as well, including harming the blood vessels in your kidneys and eyes.

Fortunately, you can improve your blood pressure levels by making changes to your lifestyle and diet. Here’s everything you need to know about how your diet impacts blood pressure, including foods that may help reduce your blood pressure, foods to avoid, and diets that may be effective for lowering your blood pressure levels.

Foods To Eat if You Have High Blood Pressure 

If you have hypertension, it’s essential to increase your intake of nutrients known to positively impact blood pressure.

Certain nutrients play important roles in blood pressure regulation, and not getting enough of these nutrients in your diet may cause or worsen high blood pressure.

Magnesium, potassium, and fiber are nutrients that are involved in blood pressure regulation. Including foods rich in these nutrients as part of a heart-healthy diet is an effective way to reduce blood pressure.

Foods High in Magnesium 

Magnesium is a mineral that’s necessary for the regulation of blood pressure. Magnesium stimulates the production of nitric oxide, which relaxes your blood vessels and increases blood flow. This is an essential part of maintaining healthy blood pressure.2

People with low magnesium levels are more likely to have high blood pressure. That said, increasing dietary magnesium is effective for lowering blood pressure levels in people with hypertension.3

Following a diet high in magnesium-rich foods could help reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure. A 2017 review found that each 100 milligram per day increment of magnesium intake was associated with a 5% reduced risk of hypertension.4

Many people with high blood pressure can benefit from taking magnesium supplements, but increasing your intake of magnesium-rich foods, such as the ones listed below, can also help increase your magnesium levels:5

• Beans and lentils: Black beans, chickpeas, and kidney beans
• Vegetables: Spinach, Swiss chard, and acorn squash
• Fruits: Avocados, bananas, and dried apricots
• Seeds and nuts: Pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and cashews
• Grains: Amaranth, quinoa, and teff

Other foods, such as cocoa, tofu, cacao nibs, salmon, and oysters are also rich in magnesium and make a smart addition to blood pressure-friendly diets.

Foods High in Potassium

Potassium is another mineral that’s critical for blood pressure control. It regulates blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels and promoting sodium (salt) excretion through the urine.

Increasing dietary potassium intake is generally an effective way to reduce high blood pressure. Additionally, increasing dietary potassium may help protect blood vessels against the harmful effects of high-salt diets.6

Unfortunately, most people don’t consume enough potassium in their diets. In fact, potassium is so widely underconsumed in the United States that it’s considered a “nutrient of public health concern” by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.7

To increase your potassium intake, try adding the following foods to your diet:8

• Avocados
• Bananas
• Beans
• Winter squash, like acorn and butternut squash
• Potatoes and sweet potatoes
• Leafy greens like spinach and Swiss chard
• Fish, like salmon and tuna
• Fruit juices, like orange and pomegranate juice
• Yogurt
• Seafood, like clams

Many foods contain potassium, but following a diet rich in plant foods, such as vegetables, fruits, and beans, is the best way to meet your daily potassium needs. If you are taking medications that may increase your potassium, consult a healthcare provider on what the best option for you may be.

Foods High in Fiber 

Increasing fiber intake is known to benefit heart health and protect against heart disease. Following a high-fiber diet helps reduce heart disease risk factors, including high blood pressure and lipid levels.9

Fiber reduces high blood pressure through several mechanisms, including reducing cholesterol and triglyceride levels and improving the health of the blood vessel walls, both of which can help improve blood flow and maintain healthy blood pressure.

Other ways that high fiber intake can improve blood pressure is by increasing the body’s sensitivity to insulin, reducing oxidative stress, and increasing levels of nitric oxide. High-fiber diets also help promote a healthy body weight, which can help with lowering and maintaining blood pressure.9

A 2022 review of 15 studies found that increasing fiber intake reduces systolic and diastolic blood pressure in adults with hypertension. The review also found that increasing fiber intake reduces all-cause mortality, total and LDL cholesterol, and fasting blood sugar levels.9

To improve blood pressure and overall heart health, try adding some of these high-fiber foods into your diet:10

• Beans and lentils: Navy beans, chickpeas, and kidney beans
• Vegetables: Artichokes, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli
• Fruits: Avocados, raspberries, and blackberries
• Seeds and nuts: Chia seeds, ground flaxseeds, and almonds
• Grains: Barley, quinoa, and teff

Though specific foods are very high in fiber, it’s best to focus on increasing your overall fiber intake by swapping out low-fiber foods, such as white bread and sugary refined cereals, with higher-fiber alternatives like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Foods to Avoid

If you have high blood pressure, reducing your intake of certain foods can help reduce your blood pressure and improve other aspects of your health, such as your blood lipid levels and blood sugar.

Cutting back on the following foods and drinks can be effective for reducing blood pressure levels:11

• Ultra-processed foods: Fast food, frozen dinners, and salty snack foods
• Sugary foods and drinks: Candy, soda, ice cream, and sugary breakfast cereals
• Processed meats: Bacon, sausage, and high-sodium deli meats
• Refined carbs: White bread, pastries, and biscuits
• Alcoholic drinks: Beer, wine, and hard liquor

Cutting back on the foods and drinks listed above is important, but it’s also essential to replace these items with nutrient-dense choices. For example, swapping processed meats for seafood high in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats, swapping refined carbs for whole grains and pseudograins like quinoa and oats, and swapping snack foods for fresh fruit and nuts, could help improve your blood pressure and overall health.

Meal Ideas for High Blood Pressure 

The following meals can be included in a blood pressure-friendly diet as they’re composed of foods associated with improved blood pressure levels and lower heart disease risk.

Breakfast 

Breakfast options include:

• Eggs scrambled with spinach and mushrooms served with sliced avocado and fresh berries
• Overnight oats made with collagen peptides, Greek yogurt, almond butter, chia seeds, and fresh berries
• Chickpea, spinach, and sweet potato hash

Lunch

Lunch options include:

• Veggie and salmon grain bowl made with salmon, quinoa, and mixed vegetables
• Chunky vegetable and lentil soup served with a spinach salad with pumpkin seeds, goat cheese, and chopped apple
• Feta chicken burger served over a Greek salad

Dinner

Dinner options include:

• Mexican grain bowl made with ground turkey, black beans, peppers, sliced avocado, and salsa
• Cioppino seafood stew
• Greek marinated shrimp skewers and vegetables served over brown rice

Diets for High Blood Pressure 

Research shows that diets high in whole, nutrient-dense foods are best for heart health and lowering heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure.

The Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet, and plant-based diets are eating patterns that have been linked with a decreased risk of hypertension and reduced risk of heart disease. All of these diets are high in fiber and plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

For example, a 2021 review that included data on over 63,000 people found that, when compared to control diets, interventions using Mediterranean-style diets lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure with an average reduction of  -1.4 mmHg and -1.5 mmHg, respectively. The review also found that people who more closely followed a Mediterranean diet were 13% less likely to have hypertension compared to people who didn’t keep to the Mediterranean diet.12

The reason why diets rich in these foods are effective for reducing blood pressure is that they provide nutrients necessary for blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and body weight regulation, such as fiber, magnesium, and potassium. These eating patterns are also low in foods and drinks known to elevate blood pressure, like foods and drinks high in added salt and sugar.

A Quick Review

High blood pressure is a common health condition that’s considered a major risk factor for heart disease.Your dietary choices can have a significant impact on blood pressure levels, as well as other heart disease risk factors like cholesterol levels and body weight.

Choosing more foods associated with healthy blood pressure, like vegetables, fruits, and beans, and cutting back on added sugar, refined carbs, and high-salt foods is an effective way to manage high blood pressure and can make a significant difference in your heart disease risk