The Philippine Society of Hypertension (PSH) recommended recently a specialized diet plan for adults suffering from abnormal blood pressure after noting more that than 10 million Filipinos are suffering from hypertension and half of them do not know their condition.

The experts recommended the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet that promises to lower blood pressure by the eighth week, as found in a study published in 1997 by the New England Journal of Medicine.

The eating plan requires the person to avoid processed foods that are high in sodium and cut down on total fat and saturated fat intake while getting at least eight to 10 servings of potassium-rich fruits and vegetables and three servings of low-fat dairy products which are high in magnesium and calcium daily.

Whole grains, fish, poultry, nuts, seeds and dried beans or legumes are also recommended in the DASH diet.

The DASH diet disallows eating processed foods such as snack items, luncheon meats, and canned soups to lower the amount of sodium in the diet.

Rich sources of potassium are fruits and vegetables, while low-fat dairy products are high in calcium and magnesium.

DASH recommends eight to ten servings of fruits and vegetables and three servings of low-fat dairy products each day.

“Cut down on both saturated fat and total fat. Fats are good sources of calories but only 30 percent of one’s total calories should be from fat, with only seven to 10 percent from saturated fats. Saturated fat is abundant in meat, cheese, butter, poultry, snack foods and other processed foods,” the DASH diet  said.

High blood pressure is when blood pressure is consistently equal to or higher than 140/90 mmHg.
“In high-risk patients with diabetes, previous heart attack or stroke, chronic kidney disease and multiple risk factors, the BP should be ideally less than 130/80 mmHg,” Dr. Dante Morales, PSH vice president said.

There are non-modifiable risk factors of hypertension. This is why the doctors recommend lifestyle change for people who have a high risk factor for hypertension because of these non-modifiable risk factors such as family history, gender, race or age.

“There’s nothing that can be done about these non-modifiable risk factors but one can influence his other risk factors to prevent hypertension and metabolic disorders such as diabetes and hypercholesterolemia,” Dr. Lynn Gomez, PSH treasurer said.