4 blood-pressure raising foods to avoid

Just as there are certain foods shown to improve blood pressure and reduce risk of hypertension, there some that may make things worse. You already know about sodium, so here are 4 more to avoid (or enjoy in moderation).

• More than 50 studies attest to the blood pressure-raising effects of alcohol consumption, suggesting that the more you drink, the greater the effect
• Overall, for every alcoholic drink you eliminate a day, you can expect your blood pressure to fall about one to two millilitres of mercury (mmHg), a result that translates directly into a reduction in long-term risk for hypertension
• Drinking is so strongly linked with hypertension that there's some talk about establishing a separate blood pressure category called alcohol-related hypertension
• If you enjoy wine occasionally, you don't have to go overboard and become a teetotaler. But you need to limit your alcohol intake to one or two drinks a day at most
• Skip the New Year's Eve blowout; studies have found that binge drinking and heavy drinking put you at significantly high risk for hemorrhagic stroke

• The data on caffeine and blood pressure is about as mixed as that on sodium
• Researchers don't even know for sure what chemicals in coffee affect blood pressure. It could be caffeine, but recent studies suggest that some unknown ingredient or ingredients may actually be to blame
• While we're pretty clear on the fact that a cup of coffee temporarily raises your blood pressure, we're less clear on the long-term effects of coffee drinking. For instance, studies on young people with normal blood pressure find little effect, but studies on older people with high blood pressure find that coffee drinkers have even higher blood pressure than those who abstain
• The effects are much worse if you smoke
• You don't necessarily have to give up your morning java. If you have high blood pressure, though, don't couple coffee with a cigarette or drink it when you're stressed or just before you exercise. These combinations may exacerbate its effects

• Until the DASH study, there was no sense that changing levels of dietary fat affected blood pressure. Given the significant results of DASH, which calls for reduced levels of overall fat and saturated fat in particular, that understanding has been called into question
• Regardless of blood pressure research, there is clear evidence of the heart-damaging effects of a high intake of saturated fat, the kind found primarily in full-fat animal products such as dairy foods and meats
• Meals that contain low amounts of saturated fat can provide heart health benefits and still assist you in your efforts to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

• If you love the strongly flavoured chewy candy and have high blood pressure, there could be a connection
• A study by researchers in Iceland found that eating even small amounts of licorice (comparable to a handful of jelly beans) raised blood pressure an average of 3.5 mmHg
• Try satisfying your sweet tooth with a piece of dark chocolate instead. Loaded with antioxidants, chocolate (in small doses) is actually good for your heart

When it comes to reducing your risk factors for high blood pressure and hypertension, knowing what not to eat can be as important as knowing what to eat. Reducing or eliminating these four foods from your diet is a healthy place to start.