What Foods Should Not Be Eaten with High Blood Pressure?

Aug 29, 2025 Source: Cainiu Health

Dr. Tian Hongbo

Introduction

Under normal circumstances, individuals with high blood pressure should avoid foods high in salt, oil, sugar, cholesterol, and spicy ingredients, as these may affect blood pressure stability and hinder effective condition management. In daily life, in addition to dietary adjustments by avoiding the aforementioned foods, individuals can also appropriately increase physical activity.

Generally, people with high blood pressure should avoid foods high in salt, oil, sugar, cholesterol, and stimulants, as these may affect blood pressure stability and are not conducive to controlling the condition. Detailed explanations are as follows:

1. High-salt foods: Common high-salt foods include pickled vegetables, preserved meats, processed meats, and seasonings with high salt content. Excessive salt intake can easily lead to water and sodium retention in the body, increasing blood volume, which raises blood pressure and places additional strain on blood vessels.

2. High-fat foods: Fried foods, fatty meats, organ meats, butter, and cream are all considered high-fat foods. These foods are rich in saturated and trans fats. Long-term consumption can elevate blood lipid levels and worsen atherosclerosis, indirectly affecting blood pressure stability and increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

3. High-sugar foods: High-sugar foods such as cakes, candies, desserts, sugary beverages, and refined sugars can easily lead to weight gain and obesity when consumed in excess. Obesity is one of the significant risk factors for hypertension and may also be accompanied by insulin resistance, further affecting blood pressure control and increasing the likelihood of complications.

4. High-cholesterol foods: Foods such as animal organs, egg yolks, crab roe, and fish roe are high in cholesterol. Long-term excessive intake can elevate cholesterol levels in the blood, leading to its deposition on blood vessel walls, reducing vascular elasticity, narrowing the vessel diameter, increasing blood pressure, and worsening the condition.

5. Stimulating foods: Spicy foods, strong tea, coffee, alcohol, and other stimulating substances may stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, causing increased heart rate and blood vessel constriction, which can lead to blood pressure fluctuations. Alcohol, in particular, may interfere with the effectiveness of antihypertensive medications, negatively affecting blood pressure stability.

In daily life, in addition to dietary adjustments by avoiding the above-mentioned foods, individuals can also appropriately increase physical activity, such as brisk walking, jogging, or practicing tai chi, to enhance cardiopulmonary function and help regulate blood pressure.

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What to eat for lowering blood pressure

In general, people with high blood pressure can consume foods such as celery, bananas, kiwifruit, oats, and black fungus. They may also take medications such as nifedipine sustained-release tablets (Ⅱ), irbesartan tablets, hydrochlorothiazide tablets, metoprolol tartrate tablets, and perindopril tert-butylamine tablets as directed by a physician for management. Additionally, it is important to maintain a low-salt diet, limiting daily salt intake to no more than 5 grams, and to keep regular作息 (daily routines), avoiding staying up late.

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Can Artemisia selengensis lower blood pressure?

Under normal circumstances, Artemisia selengensis may help lower blood pressure to some extent. When consuming Artemisia selengensis, it is important to wash it thoroughly to remove impurities and pesticide residues. The amount consumed each time should not be excessive to avoid gastrointestinal discomfort. Individuals with deficiency-cold in the spleen and stomach should consume it in moderation and avoid eating it raw. Artemisia selengensis cannot replace antihypertensive medications; individuals with high blood pressure should follow medical advice for treatment.