Hypertension Awareness Month: Understanding Modern-Day
Hypertension Triggers

• High Sodium Intake – Did you know that one cheeseburger contains approximately 720 mg of sodium, while a large serving of French fries has approximately 400 mg of sodium? This typical fast food set meal already comprises 49% of the recommended daily sodium intake for adults. According to the WHO, the recommended sodium intake of an adult is 2,000 mg per day. However, an adult Filipino generally consumes more than twice the recommended amount. 
• Low Potassium Intake – While consuming too much salt can raise your blood pressure, increasing potassium intake can help decrease blood pressure.
• Saturated fats and trans fat – According to the Mayo Clinic, unhealthy fats, including saturated fat and trans fat, increases levels of LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) while decreasing levels of HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol), contributing to plaque buildup in arteries and increasing blood pressure. Trans fat is often found in food items like margarine, butter, other spreads, shortening, microwavable popcorn, commercial baked goods, frozen pizza, French fries, donuts, and others. 
• Red Meat – Consuming too much red meat, such as beef, pork, lamb, goat, and veal, can increase blood pressure. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends being conscious of serving sizes when eating red meat and opting for leaner alternatives such as fish or chicken. 
• Caffeine and Alcohol – Regular consumption of alcoholic and caffeinated drinks can also result in hypertension.
• Sugary Drinks – Drinking lots of sugary drinks such as sodas, energy drinks, and fruit juices, can raise blood pressure. Many sweetened drinks contain caffeine that can contribute to hypertension. 

What to Do: Embracing a balanced diet is a huge step toward managing your blood pressure. Being mindful of these unhealthy foods and drinks known to elevate blood pressure is a vital key to better health. Begin by making gradual adjustments, such as limiting intake of fast food, processed, and packaged foods that contain excessive sodium. Increase potassium by eating more fruits and vegetables, such as bananas, spinach, other leafy greens, beetroot, avocados, sweet potatoes, and others. Choose whole grains and eat lean proteins. In addition, make it a habit to read food labels to avoid foods high in saturated and trans fats. Another way to adapt to a healthier diet is to limit alcohol and caffeine consumption, but don’t forget to drink plenty of water. This path to a healthy and balanced diet can help you avoid or manage hypertension.