These are the foods you need to eat to cut your blood pressure - especially if you're menopausal By Dr Emily Leeming, Dietitian And Microbiome Scientist Published: 16:45, 28 October 2024 | Updated: 16:51, 28 October 2024 e-mail View comments Menopausal women concerned about their blood pressure might want to consider increasing their intake of certain potassium-rich foods. Why? Because they are more sensitive to the damaging effects of salt than others – and new science suggests that increasing your intake of such foods (think not just avocados but also salmon and bananas) may help mitigate salt’s impact – and might be more beneficial than cutting back on salt alone when it comes to lowering blood pressure. Salt pushes up blood pressure as it makes your body retain too much fluid, and possibly by affecting your gut bacteria, too.
An animal study found that a high-salt diet can lower levels of ‘good’ bacteria such as Lactobacillus, which in turn reduces the production of short-chain fatty acids, molecules that help keep inflammation in check, it was reported in the journal Hypertension Research in June. Salt pushes up blood pressure as it makes your body retain too much fluid, and possibly by affecting your gut bacteria, too Without enough of these anti-inflammatory molecules blood vessel walls may become damaged, leading to raised blood pressure. The benefits of cutting back on salt are beyond doubt.
A review of several previous studies, published in the BMJ in 2020.
