Cómo controlar la hipertensión: consejos de nutrición inteligente para personas mayores

Las cardiopatías son la primera causa de muerte en Estados Unidos, siendo la hipertensión, o tensión arterial alta, la principal causa de enfermedad cardiaca. Para las personas que padecen presión arterial, controlar esta afección es un paso importante para reducir el riesgo de padecer una enfermedad cardiaca. La dieta desempeña un papel importante en los niveles de tensión arterial. El control de la tensión arterial suele empezar en un lugar inesperado: el supermercado. Echemos un vistazo más de cerca a cómo la nutrición desempeña un papel clave.

Comprar alimentos para la tensión arterial alta

Al hacer la compra, también puede buscar etiquetas que digan "bajo en sodio" o "reducido en sodio". Por ley, estas afirmaciones deben ser ciertas y seguir determinados criterios para la afirmación. Si un alimento dice "bajo en sodio", debe contener 140 mg o menos por ración. Si la etiqueta dice reducido en sodio, se ha eliminado al menos un 25% del producto original.

Comprender la jerga de las etiquetas

Algunos de los alimentos con mayor contenido en sodio son los procesados, como fiambres, bacon, salchichas y verduras enlatadas o platos congelados. El supermercado está lleno de alimentos etiquetados como bajos en sodio. Pero no asuma que eso significa que son bajos en sodio. Sólo significa que los productos tienen menos sodio que las versiones normales.

He aquí lo que significan realmente las declaraciones habituales sobre el sodio en Estados Unidos:

• Sin sodio o sin sal. Cada ración de este producto contiene menos de 5 mg de sodio.
• Muy bajo en sodio. Cada ración contiene 35 mg de sodio o menos.
• Bajo en sodio. Cada porción contiene 140 mg de sodio o menos.
• Reducido en sodio o menos. El producto contiene al menos un 25% menos de sodio que la versión normal.
• Lite o ligero en sodio. El contenido de sodio se ha reducido al menos un 50% con respecto a la versión normal. Pero algunos alimentos con estas etiquetas pueden seguir siendo ricos en sodio.
• Sin sal o sin sal añadida. No se añade sal durante la elaboración de un alimento que normalmente contiene sal. Pero algunos alimentos con estas etiquetas pueden no estar exentos de sodio. Esto se debe a que algunos de los ingredientes pueden seguir conteniendo sodio.

Otra etiqueta que hay que buscar es la marca del corazón de la Asociación Americana del Corazón. Se puede encontrar en los alimentos cardiosaludables del supermercado. Indica que los alimentos cumplen determinados requisitos de sodio, nutrientes beneficiosos como la vitamina A, la vitamina C, el hierro, el calcio, las proteínas o la fibra dietética, y tienen un contenido limitado de grasas saturadas o trans. Un ejemplo de esta marca puede encontrarse en una caja de Cheerios por su contenido en fibra por ración.

When choosing foods to reduce sodium, fresh is best. But that does not mean frozen, boxed, or canned is completely off limits. Frozen vegetables, fruit, and meats are still low in sodium unless they come with a sauce or gravy or as a prepared meal, like a frozen dinner; canned vegetables can still be enjoyed. These can be low sodium or reduced sodium. But if those options are not available, rinsing the vegetables and heating them in plain water will help reduce the sodium.

Using low sodium broths, stocks, and gravies can also reduce the sodium content of a meal. When it comes to snack foods, look for items like “lightly salted” or “unsalted” with nuts, crackers, or chips. You can pair it with fresh fruit or low sodium dip for a well-balanced snack.

Lowering your blood pressure with DASH and Mediterranean Diet

A couple of diets that have been created to help lower sodium intake to improve blood pressure. The first is called the DASH diet (dietary approaches to stop hypertension). This diet not only focuses on reducing sodium but also increasing nutrients that are also heart-protective, like potassium, calcium, magnesium, fiber, and protein. This diet was named the “Best Diet for High Blood Pressure” in 2025 by the US News and World Report. The DASH diet focuses more on whole foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. It provides guidelines for how often certain foods should be eaten per day or week, such as:

• Four to five servings of fruit per day (1/2 cup per serving)
• Four to five servings of vegetables per day (1/2 cup per serving)
• Six to eight servings of whole grains per day (1/2 cup grains, 1/3 cup rice or pasta, or one slice of bread per serving)
• Two or three servings of low-fat/fat-free dairy per day (1 cup milk or yogurt per serving)
• Six or fewer ounces per day of meat, chicken, or fish
• Two or three servings per day of heart-healthy fats and oils (1 teaspoon per serving)

Another popular diet is the Mediterranean Diet. This is named the best diet of 2025 by the US News and World Report. This diet also focuses on whole foods

• Vegetables (3-4 servings per day)
• Fruits (2-3 servings per day)
• Whole grains (at least three servings per day)
• Fish (2-3 servings per week)
• Poultry and eggs (less than three servings per week)
• Beans, legumes (at least three servings per week)

The Mediterranean diet limits processed or high-fat meats, refined grains, sweets, and dairy. While these diets are similar, there are differences that may sway one to prefer one diet over the next.

Tips on making diet changes stick

Small changes work best when making changes to your overall diet. If you are someone who relies heavily on prepackaged or convenience meals, it may take time to adjust to a lower sodium meal pattern. There are ways to make changes slowly, which will give your taste buds time to adjust to these changes.

1. Hide your saltshaker- or salt at the end of cooking if needed. You may not need as much seasoning as you think.
2. Experiment with seasonings- garlic powder, onion powder, ginger, hot sauce, or vinegar can add a lot of flavor to your dish.
3. Start swapping out for reduced sodium options. If you find a low sodium stock to be bland, you can liven it up with some of those seasonings! You can find low sodium varieties of deli meat, chips, soups, etc.
4. Eat at home more often. You have control over seasonings at home, but you are at the mercy of the one preparing your food at a restaurant.

Once your taste buds adjust to a lower sodium diet, these changes will be much easier to stick to. When going to restaurants, look for meals with less processed foods (think sausage, bacon, ham). Substitute French fries for a vegetable or side salad, choose baked or grilled proteins over fried or battered, and avoid gravies when you can. If you are eating at a friend’s or family member’s house, let them know about your dietary preferences, or focus more on vegetables and have smaller portions of higher sodium foods. If you attend a potluck type of party, bring something like a vegetable tray or a lower sodium recipe so that there will be something that will fit into a low sodium meal.

Regularly monitoring your blood pressure at home and during checkups is the best way to track changes and understand their effects on your health. If needed, discuss additional support with your healthcare provider.

The article provides information designed to complement your personal health management. It does not provide medical advice and not meant to replace professional medical advice. Linking to other websites does not imply any endorsement of the material on such websites.