Foods with 700 mg of sodium or more per serving

Eat your way to lower blood pressure

Need to lower your blood pressure? Stock up on foods that take the pressure off, while skipping meals that could blow your gasket. Here's how

By Lesley Young

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Eat fewer: Foods with 700 mg of sodium or more per serving

Diets high in salt lead to increased blood volume, which ratchets up the pressure on blood vessel walls. Seventy-seven percent of Canadians’ salt intake comes from processed foods, according to a study in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, compared to just 12 percent from cooking or at the table. The study authors say reducing sodium intake by 1,840 mg daily would result in one million fewer people with hypertension.

Slash sodium
Skip foods that list salt, sodium phosphate or monosodium glutamate high in the ingredients to cut your salt intake from the Canadian average of 3,500 mg per day to 1,500 mg, as recommended by Health Canada. (And opt for fresh rather than boxed, pre-prepared meals.)Related:

• High Blood Pressure and Hypertension
• Low Blood Pressure
• 5 reasons to eat more berries