We recently told you what to eat to prevent cardiovascular diseases. What if the diagnosis of “arterial hypertension” has already been made? The diet for hypertensive patients is overgrown with myths and causes a lot of controversy. To resolve our doubts, we turned to Anna Sergeevna Gabrielyan, a therapist at Moscow Hospital No. 17. Here's how she commented on readers' opinions about the menu for high blood pressure.
Pills or proper nutrition?
Once the doctor has prescribed medications to lower blood pressure, it is no longer necessary for hypertensive patients to monitor their diet.
It’s not true, there is no panacea pill. Of course, medications keep blood pressure normal. But the general condition still depends on what the person himself does with his body, first of all, how he eats.
For example, when getting rid of extra pounds (and hypertensive patients, as a rule, are obese), blood pressure decreases. Remember, with second-degree obesity, the risk of diabetes is already 93%, and if you are diagnosed with diabetes, the risk of heart attacks and strokes increases by 40-50%. That is, all the chances of cardiac and brain catastrophes can be significantly reduced by watching your diet!
And one more thing: if you follow your diet, you can reduce the dosage of the drug and even stop it, but, of course, under the supervision of a doctor. Very often, hypertension is caused by poor nutrition, as a result of which a person gains fat. Excess adipose tissue always causes fluid retention in the intercellular space. It puts pressure on the blood capillaries, creating a spasm. This spasm is transmitted to the arteries, which also narrow. To push blood into the narrow lumen, the heart begins to increase pressure. Reducing the amount of fat and water in the body will only help a hypertensive patient.
Recommendations for hypertensive patients
Drinking coffee in moderation can help normalize metabolism and improve memory. In addition, the risk of cancer, diabetes, and gallstone disease is reduced. A psychologically invigorating drink helps avoid depression. Exceeding the norm has a bad effect on the central nervous system, causes fatigue, and interferes with the absorption of vitamins and microelements. You should not consume coffee beans if you are going to do:
- sports;
- weightlifting;
- physical labor.
If you want to quit the habit, you can do it gradually, just like with smoking. First reduce the amount, then stop taking it altogether. It’s so easy to avoid headaches associated with the brain’s desire to get an energy boost.
Do you feel worse after drinking coffee?
Yes
No
Doctors recommend following several important rules:
- Do not drink coffee before going to bed, immediately after sleep, and do not drink it on an empty stomach.
- Allow yourself no more than one or two cups.
- Avoid strong drinks. Dilute it with milk or water.
You should stop drinking coffee immediately if you experience the following symptoms:
- Heart pain.
- Dyspnea.
- Dizziness.
- Headache.
- Nausea.
What positive effects can coffee have?
- Increased vitality.
- Activation of mental activity.
- Energy charge.
- Stimulation of intestinal function.
- Improving potency.
- Protection against caries.
- Losing weight.
Of course, this is not a cure. The effect is short-lived and should not be relied upon too seriously. But if drinking is more pleasant than not drinking, then why not give yourself pleasure? The main thing is to prevent addiction.
Without salt
Salt is harmful to hypertensive patients.
When preparing food, you don’t need to add any salt to it at all. The body already gets enough salt from prepared foods. They always contain it - even bread, kefir and cottage cheese, not to mention cheese, sausage, and canned food. Is it true. Salt retains fluid in the body and thereby increases blood pressure. Reducing salt intake to 5 g per day has been shown to reduce blood pressure by 10 millimeters of mercury, which is comparable to the effect after taking some antihypertensive drugs.
In addition, people with hypertension tend to be obese and are prescribed certain diets. When eating a low-calorie diet, consuming a lot of salt leads to muscle breakdown. Including the heart muscle, which naturally increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
For a healthy person, consuming salt up to 8-10 g per day is not dangerous, but if you have arterial hypertension, we recommend reducing it to 5 g - that is, a teaspoon of salt per day (do not forget to count the salt in prepared foods!). If the food seems bland to you, use lemon and herbs - they will give the dishes a pleasant, bright taste.
How does caffeine work for hypertension?
Before prescribing a “coffee diet,” doctors recommend figuring out how often a person drinks this drink during the day? Is there a habit to it? Have you noticed an increased reaction, for example, nausea, increased blood pressure? If a hypertensive person was not a passionate coffee drinker, then the effect of caffeine on the body can be pronounced, manifested in a surge in pressure, which will have a bad effect on the functioning of the heart muscle and lead to poor health in general. If you can’t imagine your life without this drink, and your body is used to it, then you can simply reduce the daily dose.
In addition, according to researchers, abruptly giving up coffee can cause much worse consequences than gradually reducing its consumption.
A study was conducted in France where they studied the lives of almost two hundred thousand volunteers from 16 to 90 years old for ten years. Scientists have come to the conclusion: lovers of moderate coffee consumption (no more than three hundred milliliters per day) were generally healthier than those who refused the drink or turned to it extremely rarely. It should be noted that among the amateur volunteers, there were significantly fewer people suffering from high blood pressure than among those who refused coffee.
The Greeks conducted their experiment. The subjects were five hundred people suffering from hypertension aged 65 to 99 years. Those who drank more than one hundred and fifty milliliters of coffee daily had more elastic blood vessels - unlike volunteers who did not drink coffee or who exceeded the daily norm.
Scientist Georges Debry found that small doses of caffeine are not able to stimulate the onset of myocardial infarction, which usually frightens hypertensive patients. He also found out that:
- drinking coffee in itself does not stimulate the development of hypertension;
- “overdose” leads to leaching of calcium from the body and disrupts the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
- Moderate consumption normalizes the functioning of blood vessels and increases their elasticity.
The norm for a healthy adult is no more than four cups of drink per day. Hypertensive patients can drink a maximum of two mugs if the body reacts well.
Is coffee good for hypertensive patients?
I read in one magazine that people with cardiovascular diseases can drink coffee. And the generally accepted recommendations are that it is harmful. Where is the truth?
There is no certainty here. Scientists, after much research, have discovered that there are two types of people: some quickly metabolize (that is, break down and absorb) coffee, others slowly. This type is determined genetically. And most often it does not change throughout life.
If a person metabolizes coffee quickly, then drinking 1-2 cups of coffee (meaning standard cups of espresso) reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes by 18%. 3-4 cups also reduce the risk by about 10%, 5-6 cups - by 4%. That is, even a large amount of coffee reduces cardiovascular risks! But if a person metabolizes coffee slowly, the opposite is true. 1-2 cups increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes by approximately 5-6%, 3-4 by 10% and 5-6 by 18%.
How do you know what type you are? Watch yourself. If you drink coffee and almost immediately feel cheerful, strong, wake up, and your brain activity is activated, it means that you quickly metabolize coffee, and 1-2 cups a day are good for you. By the way, most people belong to this type. But if you drink coffee and don’t feel the effect, it means you metabolize coffee slowly. It will still cheer you up, but after 3-4 hours. For such people, coffee should be limited.
Patients with hypertension are concerned about the question: is it possible to drink coffee with blood pressure, does it lower or increase it? There are many myths and speculations around this invigorating drink. No coffee lover will refuse to find out how caffeine affects his health. The effect of coffee on blood pressure
The meme about the effect of coffee on blood pressure has been around for a long time and it is unknown for what reason. Few people bother to think about how real its harm to the body is. The drink, beloved by many, is freely available. If it posed a real risk to the health of hypertensive patients, it is unlikely that doctors would have allowed a situation with free access to cans of coffee. Each of them would have an inscription warning about the possible negative consequences of use. But we don't see this. We draw a logical conclusion: the harm of caffeine is exaggerated. Logic is logic, but a smart person always needs evidence to understand whether it is possible to drink coffee with high blood pressure. And this evidence is available to doctors. Public studies have been repeatedly conducted proving that after 1-2 cups of this drink, blood pressure does not increase. This was confirmed by the tonometer readings before and after the meal. Doctors explain this fact by the fact that the tonic effect of caffeine negates its diuretic effect.
Instant coffee
Instant coffee differs from natural coffee primarily in that it can easily be counterfeited.
The consumer will never know what the actual ingredients are in this powder. That is why there is such a great difference in the tastes and aromas of these drinks. Drinking instant coffee under pressure is a rather risky undertaking, since it is not known what is actually included in this product. Natural coffee
Natural coffee has all the advantages of this drink. Its bright taste and rich aroma have long been appreciated and recognized, and has a colossal number of fans. Since natural is real, it is quite reasonable to doubt whether coffee increases blood pressure. Caffeine is a known stimulant and, in high doses, has significant effects on the central nervous system. But it is also a well-known diuretic. Therefore, there is no need to be afraid of a pressure surge.
Is it possible to drink coffee with high blood pressure?
High blood pressure is a health risk in itself. You should not aggravate it by taking an alkaloid. This substance simultaneously constricts blood vessels in all organs except the kidneys. A reverse reaction is observed in them - dilation of blood vessels. This situation will not bring anything good to a hypertensive patient. Especially if, in addition to cardiovascular diseases, there are other diseases. Therefore, whether it is possible to drink coffee with high blood pressure, everyone decides for himself.
With intracranial pressure
Many people confuse intracranial pressure with blood pressure. But these are completely different physiological processes. The most effective in the treatment of intracranial are diuretics (diuretics) and drugs that regulate venous outflow in the cranium. These are “Troxevasin”, “Eufillin”, “Phlebodia”. These are those drugs that contain caffeine, which has the ability to tone the veins, thereby stimulating the outflow of venous blood. At first glance, this drink for intracranial pressure is a panacea. But it is not so. The fact is that pathology is often accompanied by various kinds of complications. It is necessary to take into account what the features of this complex disease are and what causes it. Therefore, with this pathology, the consumption of your favorite drink should be limited to 1-2 cups per day. This dose of caffeine will only have a beneficial effect.
For hypertension
In order to understand whether you can drink coffee with hypertension, you need to evaluate its effect on two conditions at once: low and high blood pressure.
With this disease of the cardiovascular system, a stable condition is rarely observed. Mostly more or less pronounced pressure changes (jumps) occur. All hypertensive patients are aware of these features of their condition. But not everyone knows that caffeine affects each of them differently. With low blood pressure, it has a stabilizing effect that can bring your health back to normal. When elevated, additional stress is created on the vessels. Therefore, hypertensive patients are recommended to drink no more than 2 cups of coffee per day. This is a safe dose for them. This is the doctor's recommendation. Coffee for hypertensive patients
For lovers of the aromatic drink, for whom, for health reasons, small doses of caffeine are recommended or not recommended at all, a solution has been found: the process of decaffeination.
With its help, a product that is absolutely safe for hypertensive patients is obtained - decaffeinated coffee. This is an excellent solution for those hypertensive patients who are unable to give up the usual bitter taste and aroma. Despite the fact that they differ for the worse in a decaffeinated drink, many are willing to put up with this drawback. There is also a special variety of coffee beans that do not contain caffeine. These are the fruits of trees bred as a result of genetic mutations: Coffeaarabica (Arabian) and Coffeacharrieriana (Cameroon). Decaf coffee is sold everywhere. The most popular brands are GrandosExpress and Aromatico. You can find one that you like.
Can hypertensive patients drink tea?
Hypertensive patients can drink green tea, but black tea cannot, since the former normalizes blood pressure, while the latter increases it.
As for green tea, this is true . It contains many antioxidants, due to which it improves the functions of the heart and nervous system, fights aging, and promotes additional fat burning during physical activity. Therefore, green tea is beneficial for everyone.
Black tea is more tonic and indeed contains more caffeine-like substances, but so far doctors are not clear whether black tea is harmful or not for cardiovascular diseases. The exception is very strong black tea, which is definitely not worth drinking if you have hypertension. And in general, observe how the tea you drink affects your well-being.
Effect on blood pressure
Caffeine-containing drinks are dangerous for some hypertensive patients, as they can lead to a hypertensive crisis. In people with a history of high blood pressure, the following conditions are observed after drinking coffee:
- excessive excitement;
- nervousness;
- a person reacts sharply to stressful situations;
- immediately after a cup of drink, a person may feel prolonged excitement, and then this state suddenly changes to severe fatigue;
- there is a decrease in sensitivity.
All this is triggered by caffeine. This is a substance found in coffee beans and is used in the medical industry. Quite a lot of painkillers contain it (Citramon, Copacil, Farmadol). Caffeine is a powerful energy drink. It has been proven that it has a greater effect on the central nervous system than on the heart and blood vessels. This explains the stimulating effect it has and the addiction to this drink.
Strong coffee can provoke severe vasospasm, and although it will be short-lived, it can still cause great harm to a hypertensive patient. This leads to increased blood pressure. This is the reaction you would expect if you drink a double espresso.
Another effect of caffeine on the body is the increased production of adrenaline. For a healthy person, this will help increase efficiency, he will gain new strength. But adrenaline also increases blood pressure. At the same time, the pulse increases as the heart begins to work harder. Caffeine affects myocyte receptors, and because of this, the number of heart contractions increases to 120 beats per minute.
It should be noted that the active substance has a diuretic effect. That is why some people have the opposite effect - their blood pressure decreases.
Studies have shown that older people who drink moderate amounts of coffee over a long period of time have more elastic blood vessels than those who do not drink coffee at all or drink a lot of it.
Meat or fish?
Red meat contributes to the development of atherosclerosis; it is better to replace it with fish.
It is true that red meat is not the best food for hypertensive patients. We now eat a lot more of it than our great-great-great-grandparents. Even 40 years ago, meat was eaten less often: only in autumn and winter, more often in soups, pies, and cutlets. They baked meat in pieces and ate it this way mainly on holidays. The recommendations of the World Health Organization are as follows: after 40-45 years, it is recommended to give up red meat.
But what if a person is allergic to fish? Sea and river fish actually have less sodium than meat. But if you don’t like fish or it causes an allergic reaction (itching, rash, hay fever, sore throat), choose lean cuts of meat - skinless chicken or turkey breast, pork tenderloin, lean beef, veal. Contrary to popular belief, pork liver is not fatty and can be consumed for hypertension.
The method of preparation is especially important. It is better not to fry, but to bake in the oven or grill, boil, stew or steam. By the way, this also applies to fish. If you roll it in flour or batter and fry it in oil, do not flatter yourself with the hope that this is a dietary dish.
But fish oil is a fat that is very useful for hypertensive patients. It contains polyunsaturated fatty acids that protect blood vessels from cholesterol plaques. Eat any fatty fish (boiled, stewed, baked), but preferably at lunch: heavy food at night is undesirable.
Decaffeinated coffee
Decaffeinated coffee is very popular today. And many consider this a good way out of the situation, but there is a nuance. This drink still contains an invigorating alkonoid, and although its content is small, it is dangerous for hypertensive patients.
This effect is ensured by uncontrolled abuse of coffee.
A cup of this coffee product contains up to 14 mg of invigorating substance. It is noted that such coffee contains many harmful impurities, because in order to clean the raw materials from caffeine, a series of chemical reactions must be carried out. It also contains more fat.
In view of this, it is recommended to drink a cup of a good natural product rather than decaffeinated coffee. It is important to know when to stop everything. If you want to replace coffee with a drink completely without caffeine, then you can drink chicory - it is a natural product.
Instead of sweets - dried fruit compote
Sweet foods are harmful to hypertension. They can be safely replaced with fruit.
Only partly true. Fruits are a good choice, but not more than 200 g at a time. Sour and sweet apples are absolutely equal in calorie content, the former only have more fruit acids. Moderately firm pears, citrus fruits, kiwis, frozen berries are an excellent snack. One banana is a wonderful source of potassium, which removes excess water, plus it saturates for a long time. There is too much sugar in dried fruits, but a compote made from them (without sugar, of course) will “collect” all the potassium that is so necessary for hypertension from the fruits and thereby help remove swelling.
Away from fast food
If you have problems with the cardiovascular system, fast food is real poison.
Is it true. Although it is not recommended to abuse it for people with healthy blood vessels. Hypertensive patients need to eliminate foods that contribute to weight gain and water retention. These are all fatty foods, dishes where fats are combined with large amounts of carbohydrates, as well as fried foods. All of the above is a “trick” of fast food.
Dishes from the menu of such establishments contain a lot of salt, i.e. sodium, which retains water. In addition, the combination of salt and sugar is a favorite chef's move when preparing any sauces, pastry creams and dough, cookies, even chocolate. Salt sets off sugar and thereby increases the palatability of food. So, as you can see, by giving up fast food, ready-made sauces, baked goods, fatty and fried foods, you will significantly reduce the amount of sodium, fat and simple carbohydrates in your diet.
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What kind of coffee can you drink if you have hypertension?
Experts advise drinking coffee before, after, or while walking. Then it will not have a harmful effect. What is the best food for people with high blood pressure?
Coffee with milk
If you want to somehow neutralize the power of caffeine, you can dilute it with milk. In addition, for hypertension, it is advisable to avoid very hot liquids, as this promotes vasospasm, which causes blood pressure to rise and milk to lower the temperature.
Green coffee
It is perfectly absorbed by the body; it does not contain as much caffeine as black coffee. In addition, it fights cholesterol plaques, which increase blood pressure.
Green coffee is the one whose beans have not been subjected to heat treatment, i.e. were not fried. They retain their natural dark green color.
Decaffeinated coffee
It’s better not to count too much on this option. There is no technology that can extract the caffeine alkaloid from beans. Therefore, it is better to choose chicory or instant product.
Instant coffee
It is also called sublimated. This type is suitable for hypertensive patients who have not been able to give up the passionate habit of an invigorating cup at any time of the day. Instant coffee beans have fewer harmful substances. But it’s better to give up tea.
As you know - and this is a proven medical fact - with low blood pressure, it is coffee that can equalize its level. In this option, you need to use ground coffee or brew it yourself from whole beans. But no more than three cups during the day, even if the pressure does not rise above normal. For people with hypertension, this is more than enough to maintain good health. An overdose will threaten the cardiovascular and nervous systems.
Since the drink is addictive, it will soon cease to have the desired effect on the body, and more and more cups will be needed to equalize the pressure. To avoid such dependence, you must strictly adhere to the daily norm.
What to dress the salad with
Vegetables should be on the menu for hypertensive patients. Salads can be eaten three times a day.
True, vegetables are the healthiest foods in a diet for hypertensive patients. Doctors recommend zucchini, eggplant, cucumbers, leafy greens, all types of cabbage, carrots, radishes, and daikon. They contain a lot of potassium, which, as opposed to sodium, removes excess water. Therefore salads are really recommended.
But salads are different. Herring under a fur coat, Olivier, and mimosa, which are popular among Russians, will have to be limited, since the potatoes, corn, and peas they contain are a large amount of carbohydrates, the herring is salty, and mayonnaise adds a lot of calories.
Salads made from fresh and green vegetables are safe, but here you should not overuse mayonnaise or large amounts of vegetable oil (even olive oil!). Remember, 100 g of this oil is equal to 1000 kcal. It is better to season the dish with natural yogurt; it is good to add spices (mustard, ground pepper, garlic, curry, turmeric). Low-fat sour cream will also work.
Diet No. 10 - do's and don'ts
| Can | It is forbidden |
| Dietary salt-free bread, toast, white bread croutons | Fresh bread, pancakes, pancakes, baked goods |
| Vegetable soups with cereals, milk soups | Broths from meat, poultry, fish, mushrooms. Soups with legumes |
| Lean beef, veal, rabbit, chicken, turkey. Boiled or baked without fat | Fatty meat, geese, ducks, offal, sausages, smoked meats, lard and corned beef, canned meat |
| Lean fish and seafood - boiled or steamed | Fatty fish, salted, smoked fish, caviar, canned fish |
| Milk, low-fat cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir | Salty and fatty cheese, sour cream, cream |
| Soft-boiled eggs, omelettes. No more than 1 egg per day | Fried eggs, hard-boiled eggs |
| Cereal dishes, pasta made from durum flour | Legumes |
| Boiled and baked vegetables. Raw vegetables rarely and carefully | Pickled, salted vegetables. Radishes, onions, garlic, mushrooms, radishes, green peas, cabbage |
| Fresh ripe fruits and berries, honey, jam, dried fruits | Fiber fruits, chocolate, cakes |
| Weak tea, fruit and vegetable juices | Natural coffee, cocoa, strong tea, alcohol |
| Vegetable oils, occasionally unsalted butter | Cooking fats and margarines, lard |
Tags:
- Heart and blood vessels
- Diets
- Caffeine
- Nervous system
- Cellulose
- Therapeutic diets
• To leave a comment you must be an authorized user
- RashaDi In a word - all natural. It’s precisely in semi-finished and processed foods that there is a huge amount of cholesterol and trans fats that accumulate in the body, increase fat deposits, and negatively affect the functioning of the cardiovascular system. I order Atheroclefit Bio on the website phytomarket.ru and take it as a course. The composition is natural, for example, dioscorea extract, supports the health of blood vessels, cleanses their walls of bad cholesterol.
- senezh _Bu__, only your attending physician can advise you on diet and measures to treat your bradycardia. We will not advise you anything here in absentia.
- _Bu__ Question to the specialists representing the site - on “Diet No. 10 - do’s and don’ts”: 1. Why can’t fresh vegetables be allowed? - it would seem that everyone knows that this is healthy food, take it and eat as much as you like. 2. In the same place - why not legumes, mushroom broths, fatty fish, fish broths? (does this refer to ear by the way?) 3. How hard to toast regular black rye bread to make toast in a standard toaster? (minute scale-roller) 4. What is the diet and necessary measures for blood pressure 114\64, pulse 64-69? Bradycardia?
- helluva why can’t legumes and fruits with coarse fiber?
- lastmac without salt our body will die, we need salt
- BUKA_ I’ve been on this diet for about 2 weeks... I'm used to eating without salt... =)
- I liked Colorized 5 basic principles, they are generally doable. But diet No. 10 is very strict, I will start following this if something really hurts, but it’s unlikely to be used as a preventive measure. I’m not yet ready to give up raw vegetables, chicken soup, onions, mushrooms, cheese, beans, salmon.
