High blood pressure often develops without obvious symptoms, but what you eat every day can have a major impact on keeping it under control. While most people know to cut back on salty snacks, dietitians say there are several surprising foods that may also be driving up your blood pressure due to their high sodium, added sugar, and processed ingredients. If you’re trying to support your heart health, these are five foods experts recommend limiting.
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1. Baked goods like cookies and cake
A tasty pastry can be difficult to resist. Many people keep a steady supply of Little Debbie snacks and delicious cookies like Oreos stocked in their pantry. But dietitian Krutika Nanavati stresses that consuming processed, sugary baked goods like these is one major faux pas if you want a healthier heart and a fitter body. It's no secret that sugar can lead to a plethora of adverse effects on your health.
"Sugary snacks like cookies, candy, and cake often contain calories but lack essential nutrients," she says. "Overindulging in sugary snacks can lead to weight gain, another risk factor for high blood pressure. Moreover, sugary snacks can cause sudden spikes in blood sugar levels, contributing to high blood pressure."
Luckily, there are a lot of healthy alternatives that can satisfy your sweet tooth without putting your health at risk. Nanavati suggests fresh fruit, yogurt with berries, and dark chocolate, which offers some great health benefits.
2. Breakfast cereal
Cereal is another common pantry staple in many households. Not only does it make for a convenient, quick breakfast, but it's also an easy and delicious snack to eat straight out of the box. But just like baked goods and other sweet treats, breakfast cereal is typically loaded with sugar, and offers very few nutritional benefits. All of this can pose a significant risk to your heart health and your weight loss goals.
"Cereals are often very high in sugar and low in fiber, which means they pass through your digestive system quickly. Fiber keeps you feeling fuller for longer, which helps control your food intake and prevent weight gain. It also causes slower digestion which means a slower release of energy into your bloodstream throughout the day. Even brands like Special K and Life, which are heavily marketed as weight loss friendly cereals, have the same low amount of fiber found in the common sugary brands like Frosted Flakes," Destini Moody, registered dietitian and certified specialist in sports dietetics, notes. And don't forget how sugar can affect your heart; as mentioned above, blood sugar spikes can lead to higher blood pressure and an increased risk of heart disease.
3. Canned food
Canned food is highly processed, high-sodium option that health experts recommend cutting out of your diet if you want to lower your blood pressure. "High sodium, sugar, or preservatives are sometimes added to canned foods to improve their flavor," Nanavati says. These can increase the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.
Canned foods also don't offer nearly as many nutrients as whole foods do. "Since canning typically involves high heat, water-soluble vitamins can be lost as some vitamins are sensitive to heat," Nanavati goes on. That means that when you eat canned vegetables, for example, you're putting yourself at risk with all of those preservatives while reaping minimal nutritional benefits.
If you still want to buy canned foods, she offers a bit of advice for finding healthier options: "Look for items with minimal added sugar or sodium and check the serving size. Aim for a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables that are packed without added sauces or syrups."
4. Store-bought Cottage Cheese
Although cottage cheese is packed with protein and calcium, many store-bought varieties are surprisingly high in sodium, making them a hidden source of salt for people with hypertension.
According to dietitians, just one serving can contain several hundred milligrams of sodium, which can quickly add up throughout the day. Excess sodium encourages the body to retain fluid, increasing pressure on blood vessel walls and making it more difficult to manage blood pressure.
If you enjoy cottage cheese, look for low-sodium or no-salt-added varieties, and pair it with fresh fruit or vegetables instead of salty toppings. Alternatively, plain Greek yogurt can provide a similar protein boost with significantly less sodium.
