Hypertension Diet Explained: What to Eat to Lower High Blood Pressure Quickly

For

those dealing with high blood pressure, it is imperative to make many changes in their daily lives to keep the levels balanced. Also known as hypertension, the condition forces your heart to work harder, damaging arteries over time and reducing blood flow, leading to serious complications like heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney disease, and even permanent vision loss, and in some cases, death. And so, a major part of these changes in your life includes what to eat and what to stop. Doctors suggest following the DASH diet, which is a healthy eating plan designed to treat high blood pressure. This diet is known to lower cholesterol linked to heart disease, called low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol.

What is a DASH diet?

DASH, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, includes foods that are loaded with minerals like potassium, calcium, and magnesium – all of which boost your heart health. The DASH diet focuses mostly on eating fresh and seasonal vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. It includes fat-free or low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, beans, and nuts. Also, the diet limits foods that are packed with salt, also known as sodium. It also limits added sugar and saturated fat, such as in fatty meats and full-fat dairy products.

What should you eat daily on the DASH diet?

Experts say the DASH diet is completely balanced to take care not just of your cardiovascular health, but also includes other markers like weight, as it makes you consume foods that boost metabolism and lower inflammation. The diet creates a heart-healthy eating style for life, without the need to buy or procure special foods or drinks. When following DASH, it is important to choose foods that are:

• Rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, fiber, and protein
• Low in saturated fat
• Low in salt

Meal planning with the DASH diet

When following this diet, make sure to build your meals around foods that you like that fit into the DASH plan. So, if you do not like a certain food group, like capsicum, try to swap it with better-tasting red peppers, celery, or carrots. You can also take recipes you already love and make them DASH-friendly: Lower the sodium content by skipping salt and trimming back high-sodium sauces, rather than adding natural spices like garlic

• Add more veggies and fruit to any recipe you make
• Reduce red meat and go for lean and skinless meats like chicken and fish
• Replace butter or solid oils with unsaturated oils, like olive, canola, or avocado oil, in all kinds of cooking.
• Swap processed white bread and grains for whole grains or sourdough bread, which you can even make at home
• Instead of eating white rice daily, try eating millet rice or brown rice

Also read: Top 10 Heart-Healthy Diets to Follow in 2026 for Better Cardiovascular Health

How long does it take for the DASH diet to reduce blood pressure?

Experts say following a DASH diet lowers blood pressure in as little as two weeks, with significant reductions often seen within the first month, potentially dropping systolic pressure by several points – at least 4 to 8 points, with greater long-term effects seen over several months. Its effectiveness comes from emphasizing fresh produce – mainly fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.