CKD patients- Eat More Fruits and Vegetables to Control Blood Pressure

“Your blood pressure is higher than it should be,” your doctor says. It’s a conversation many people with renal disease will have with their healthcare team at some point in time. Medication is a common option to control blood pressure. But it’s not the only option, according to a recent study presented at an American Heart Association conference.

So what are the other options? Some common recommendations include losing weight, getting regular exercise, reducing sodium, avoiding or limiting alcohol, not smoking, limiting caffeine, reducing stress, and self-monitoring blood pressure.

But there’s at least one other important lifestyle choice that can help reduce blood pressure: Eat more fruits and vegetables.

In a five-year study, researchers found that people with high blood pressure who ate the most fruits and vegetables were able to lower their blood pressure by enough points to move from stage 1 or stage 2 of high blood pressure to prehypertension in the range of 120-139 systolic / 80-89 diastolic. Researchers also found that the people who ate the most fruits and vegetables were also able to manage their blood pressure with less medication.

Here’s what interesting about the study design. It wasn’t just people with high blood pressure who were eating more fruits and vegetables. Research funding provided enough fruits and vegetables for each of the 108 people in the study, along with their families. When you make the effort to eat healthy, the rest of your family will likely follow your example, and everyone benefits.

So if you need to control your blood pressure to help manage renal disease, add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. A trip to the produce section at the grocery store will help give your menu a makeover. We’ve also created a great selection of Renal-Friendly meals with fruits and vegetables the entire family will enjoy.