Tim Spector’s most important diet change to tackle blood pressure

Nutritional scientist Tim Spector has shared his top tips for reducing blood pressure through diet, including some surprising revelations about salt. The professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London admitted that despite being a doctor, there was much he didn’t know when he was diagnosed with high blood pressure.

Speaking on Instagram, Prof Spector, who founded the Zoe health App, said: “I wish I’d been told this when I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. As a doctor, I knew that reducing salt was the number one thing. But I’m not very keen on cutting out flavour from my food.”

Prof Spector went on to reveal that his research showed him that most people are not sensitive to salt and it had little impact on his own blood pressure. He added: “My research told me that most of us are not salt sensitive. So for me, this didn’t have a big impact on my blood pressure at all. And what I learned is that potassium is actually more important than salt. So you should eat more high-potassium foods.”

“I wish I’d been told this when I was diagnosed with high blood pressure As a doctor, I knew that reducing salt was the number one thing. But I’m not very keen on cutting out flavour from my food.”

“And that doesn’t mean just bananas because tennis players have them. Actually, most plants have lots of potassium. Now, the other way you can reduce your blood pressure is by increasing your fibre intake. Just an increase of five grammes of fibre can reduce your blood pressure by twice as much as avoiding salt.

“And then, of course, there are other plants like beetroot, which have in addition to the fibre and potassium, have extra chemicals that might give you that extra bonus to reduce it even further. So we do have some of the solutions that are going to keep you in good health, and you will benefit as well as your gut microbes.”

Prof Spector was diagnosed with high blood pressure after a mini-stroke in his early 50s, and said it was a ‘real wake-up call to reassess’ his health. Alongside medication, he made some dietary changes based on the latest science.

On the subject of salt he added: “While reducing salt is often the first step in managing hypertension, only around 25% of healthy people and >50% of people with hypertension are salt sensitive.”

“Reducing ultra-processed foods, the primary source of sodium in our diets, may be more beneficial. UPFs also tend to have reduced potassium and fibre which have been proven to help lower blood pressure.”

I wish I’d been told this when I was diagnosed with high blood pressure As a doctor, I knew that reducing salt was the number one thing[quote_full_stop] But I’m not very keen on cutting out flavour from my food.” Eating more plants, especially leafy greens, nuts, seeds and beans offer good ways to get more potassium and fibre, which have been shown to help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. The best thing about eating less ultra-processed foods and more potassium and fibre-packed plants can not only help to reduce blood pressure but can also support your gut health.”

Source: bing.com