15 Foods To Avoid With High Blood Pressure: What Not To Consume & Alternative Options

According to the World Health Organization, high blood pressure, aka hypertension, is one of the major causes of premature death worldwide (1). 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) goes on to say that if you suffer from high blood pressure, this issue puts you at a higher risk of heart disease and stroke, which are leading causes of death in the United States (2).

Luckily, having high blood pressure is not a death sentence. 

According to research and experts, hypertension is easily manageable through lifestyle changes such as:

• Losing weight
• Improving your diet
• Reducing smoking and alcohol intake
• Increasing physical activity (3, 4).

Since diet is one of the easiest things to change, here are 15 foods to avoid if you have high blood pressure.

What Are The 15 Foods To Avoid With High Blood Pressure?

The 15 foods to avoid when you have high blood pressure exist in six main food groups, including:

• Sugary foods and drinks
• Red and processed meats
• Condiments and sauces
• Pre-packaged foods
• Salty foods
• Alcohol

Let’s examine each category more closely and list some examples of things you should avoid if you have hypertension.

High Blood Pressure Foods To Avoid

• Salty Foods

If you were to ask, ‘What foods raise blood pressure immediately?’ 

Salty foods are likely to be the most common answer to this question, and with good reason.

Research shows that high sodium (salt) intake increases blood pressure, leading to the following: 

• Water retention
• Increased heart strain
• Alterations in endothelial function
• Changes in the structure and function of large elastic arteries
• And much more (5).

Experts and scientific studies show that reducing salt intake can lower blood pressure regardless of age, race, sex, BMI, or underlying illness (6, 7).

Sources of high sodium intake in the diet include (8):

1. Fast foods such as pizza and burgers
2. Prepackaged foods like soups and even sandwiches
3. Burritos and tacos
4. Savoury snacks
5. Deli meats
6. Bread

If you’re curious about the high blood pressure diet menu, check out our earlier article

• Sugary Foods And Drinks

People with high blood pressure must practice moderation with sugar.

Increased sugar consumption is often associated with an increased risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes (9).

Studies also show that excessive sugar can lead to high blood pressure.

In a multicenter study published in 2011, researchers found that sugars (fructose, glucose, and sucrose) and sugar-sweetened beverages had the same effects on blood pressure as sodium. 

The researchers recommended reducing sugar-sweetened beverages, sugars, and salt to reduce high blood pressure and cardiovascular risk (10).

In another study published in 2014, researchers urged guideline committees to shift their attention away from salt and focus on the risks of sugar, as they believed it had an even more significant impact on high blood pressure (11).

They stated that processed foods, especially highly refined carbohydrates, contain added sugars that can:

• Increase blood pressure and blood pressure variability
• Increase heart rate and myocardial oxygen demand
• Increase metabolic dysfunction
• Contribute to inflammation
• Cause insulin resistance (11).

A 2015 study published in the Pflügers Archiv European Journal of Physiology found that added sugars lead to obesity and high blood pressure (12). 

Another study published in the same year in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition stated that consuming sugar-sweetened beverages increased the risk of developing hypertension by 12% (13).

Examples of high-sugar foods and drinks to avoid include:

• Cakes, puddings, cookies, pastries, and pies
• Chocolates, gummies, ice cream, candies, and marshmallows
• Sodas, pre-packaged fruit juices, and energy drinks

What are no flour no sugar diets? Find out more here.

• Alcohol

If you have high blood pressure and enjoy the occasional drink, or worse, drink often and even to excess, it is time to put a stop to this practice.

In a review published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in 2020, researchers found:

• Consuming a small amount of alcohol, less than 14 grams (g) in 6 hours, does not increase blood pressure, but it does increase your heart rate by 5.1 beats per minute (bpm).
• 5.1 bpm might not seem like much, but when you suffer from hypertension, it strains your heart, and an increased heart rate adds to the strain from hypertension (14).
• The researchers then stated that a high intake of alcohol at first decreases blood pressure up to 12 hours after consumption.
• However, after 13 hours of when you drank alcohol, your blood pressure goes up and stays up.
• A high intake of alcoholic substances increases the heart rate, and it can remain high for up to 24 hours (14).
• In a meta-analysis review published in 2023, researchers stated that there was a linear positive association between baseline alcohol intake and changes over time in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure (15).
• In another review published almost a year later, researchers stated that the consumption of just 12g of alcohol a day increased the risk of hypertension (16).
• If you have high blood pressure, you should avoid all kinds of alcohol, including beer, wine, spirits, etc.

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• Red and Processed Meat 

In a review published in the American Journal of Hypertension, researchers stated that studies have shown higher odds of hypertension in those who generally have a higher red meat consumption.

They also stated that the prevalence of hypertension was distinctly lower among those who follow a diet devoid of meat (17).

Based on these findings, they recommended substituting red meat for poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, or plant-based protein, which is associated with 8-15% lower odds of hypertension (17).

Processed red meats, deli meats, or cold cuts are unsuitable for people with high blood pressure. 

Studies show that these processed meats contain the highest amount of sodium, and excess salt is a big enemy of the heart and blood pressure  (8, 18, 19).

1. Red meat examples: Beef, goat meat, lamb, and game meats
2. Processed meat examples: Sausages, bacon, jerky, deli meats, salami, and pepperoni

• Frozen Foods

Frozen foods and meals are handy for anyone who dislikes cooking or doesn’t have time to cook. 

However, while most of these foods claim to be healthy for you, the reality is they are usually:

• High in sodium
• Highly processed
• High in trans fats, all of which are not good for your heart (20, 21, 22, 23).

Frozen pizza is a perfect example of a highly processed, high-sodium, and high-saturated-fat frozen meal.

However, it is not the only one. If you rely on frozen foods, read the nutritional labels to understand what you eat. Always look for low-fat and low-sodium options.

It is important to note that foods high in trans fats are foods to avoid with high blood pressure and cholesterol.

• Condiments And Pickled Foods

While condiments make your meals taste delicious, most are highly processed and high in sodium.

High-salt condiment examples: Soy sauce, fish sauce, ketchup, mayonnaise, and BBQ sauce

Pickled foods are fantastic for gut health (24), but unfortunately, pickling often requires salt and sugar. These ingredients are not great for someone who suffers from high blood pressure.

Avoid these and similar items: Pickled onions, carrots, cucumbers, beets, and peppers.

Read more: Plant-Based Diet Meals: Simple Examples, Benefits, Potential Side Effects & More

What Is The Number One Food That Causes High Blood Pressure?

No one specific food causes high blood pressure. However, foods high in sodium and sugar can increase the risk of high blood pressure. 

If you already suffer from hypertension, it is common sense to minimize or altogether avoid these foods, too.

What Food Should Be Avoided If Blood Sugar Is High

If you have high blood sugar, most doctors recommend avoiding foods high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar (25).

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What Is The Best Breakfast For High Blood Pressure?

According to the American Heart Association, these are the best foods for managing and lowering high blood pressure:

• Whole grains
• Nuts and legumes
• Fruits and vegetables
• Low-fat dairy products
• Fish and skinless poultry
• Non-tropical vegetable oils (26)

If you make a high-blood-pressure-friendly breakfast, these foods should make up your ingredients. 

Examples of breakfast meals that you can make from these include:

• Savoury oats with avocado and salsa
• Low-fat yogurt topped with berries and nuts
• Whole wheat bread with bananas and berries

Following the DASH diet guidelines is a great way to eat well and manage high blood pressure (27).

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What Is The Main Enemy Of High Blood Pressure?

According to the CDC and the World Health Organization, factors such as:

• Age
• Smoking
• An unhealthy diet
• A sedentary lifestyle
• The consumption of alcohol
• Diabetes and other medical conditions can increase your risk of hypertension.

Remember that hypertension is also hereditary, so if someone from your family suffers from this, you might want to take preventative measures to reduce the likelihood of you suffering too (1, 28).

Read more: How to Build a Healthy Dinner Plate, According to Experts

What Is The Best Drink In The Morning For High Blood Pressure?

Health experts have approved fruits and vegetables for the hypertension diet, so drinking a fruit and vegetable smoothie can be a great way to start the morning if you suffer from high blood pressure.

Tea, specifically unsweetened tea, since sugar is not suitable for this illness – could also be a good morning drink option. Some studies have shown that tea can help reduce blood pressure (29, 30).

Learn more about the top 5 fruits to avoid for weight loss.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What drink calms the heart?

Water, unsweetened teas, plant-based milk, low-fat milk, fruit juices, and vegetable juices are excellent for the heart (31).

• What brings blood pressure down in minutes?

Breathing exercises are a good way to reduce your blood pressure quickly.

Studies have shown that deep breathing exercises positively affect blood pressure and heart rate (32, 33, 34). You can also try drinking water or tea or engaging in mild exercise like yoga.

• Are eggs bad for high blood pressure?

It is hard to say.

While some studies claim that the consumption of eggs has no significant effects on systolic and diastolic blood pressure (35), others argue that consumption of the same shows a higher risk of hypertension (36).

The DASH diet allows poultry and eggs while following the prescribed dietary structure (27). Due to these varying factors, speak to your doctor.

• Are bananas good for high blood pressure?

Yes, bananas are great for high blood pressure. They contain potassium, a mineral known to reduce high blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular diseases (37).

However, the American Heart Association warns against excessive consumption of this fruit. Experts state that foods high in potassium can interfere with some medications for high blood pressure and heart failure, so practice moderation (38).

The Bottom Line

The main things that these 15 foods to avoid with high blood pressure have in common is that they are either high in salt, sugar, saturated fats, or a combination.

If you have hypertension, avoid all three as much as possible.

Read the nutritional labels of everything you purchase. Even if you do not have hypertension, it would benefit you to read nutritional labels and actively limit these three for better health.