Eating to Lower Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is the most common chronic condition in Australia and the one people are least able to feel. It produces no symptoms until it produces serious ones, which is why it's usually found at a routine appointment rather than because anything felt wrong.
Diet has a genuine, measurable effect here — the DASH trials produced blood pressure reductions comparable to a single medication in some participants. This guide covers the eating pattern that evidence supports.
Reading the numbers
Blood pressure is two figures: systolic (the pressure as your heart beats) over diastolic (between beats), in mmHg. In Australia, normal is generally considered below 120/80, with 140/90 the common threshold for hypertension — though your GP interprets this against your overall cardiovascular risk, not as a standalone number.
Two practical notes. A single reading means little; blood pressure varies through the day and rises at the doctor's. And home monitors are useful if you're consistent — same arm, seated, feet flat, after five minutes of rest, not straight after coffee or exercise.
The DASH pattern
DASH — Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension — is the most tested eating pattern for blood pressure anywhere. It isn't exotic. It's a shift in emphasis:
| Emphasise | Why |
|---|---|
| Vegetables and fruit | Potassium, magnesium, fibre, nitrates |
| Wholegrains | Fibre; displaces refined carbohydrate |
| Low-fat dairy | Calcium and potassium — a distinctive feature of DASH |
| Legumes, nuts and seeds | Potassium, magnesium, plant protein |
| Fish and poultry | Protein without the saturated fat load |
| Olive oil | Unsaturated fat replacing saturated |
And reduce: sodium, processed and cured meats, sugar-sweetened drinks, confectionery and alcohol. The Mediterranean pattern performs similarly and suits many people better — if you'll actually eat one and not the other, that matters more than the difference between them.
Sodium — and where it actually comes from
Most Australians eat well above the recommended sodium intake, and the common assumption about where it comes from is wrong.
Roughly three quarters of dietary sodium comes from processed and packaged foods, not the salt shaker. Bread is often the single largest contributor in an Australian diet — not because it's especially salty, but because of how much of it people eat. Then processed meats, cheese, sauces, stocks, and takeaway.
Practical consequences:
- Read labels per 100 g, not per serve. Serve sizes are set by manufacturers and aren't comparable between products. Under 120 mg sodium per 100 g is low; above 600 mg is high.
- Compare breads and cereals — the range between brands is enormous for otherwise similar products.
- Cook more of your own food. This single change does more than any amount of shaker discipline.
- Build flavour from other things — acid, herbs, spices, garlic, aromatics and browning all reduce how much salt a dish needs to taste finished.
- Your palate adapts in a few weeks. Food that tastes under-seasoned at first stops tasting that way, and heavily salted food starts tasting harsh.
Potassium, and why it's half the story
Sodium gets the attention, but the sodium-to-potassium ratio matters as much as sodium alone, and most Australians fall short on potassium. Increasing it is a more pleasant intervention than cutting salt, and it comes from ordinary food: potato and sweet potato, banana, avocado, leafy greens, tomato, legumes, yoghurt, salmon and dried apricots.
One important exception. If you have kidney disease, or take medication that affects potassium, do not increase potassium intake or use potassium-based salt substitutes without medical advice — high potassium can be dangerous. This is a conversation for your GP, not a website.
The rest of it
- Alcohol raises blood pressure in a dose-dependent way, and reducing intake produces measurable reductions. This is often the largest single lever for people who drink daily.
- Activity. 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity lowers blood pressure independently of weight change.
- Weight. Even a few kilograms produces measurable reduction; you don't need to reach a goal weight to benefit.
- Sleep. Untreated sleep apnoea is a common and under-diagnosed contributor to resistant hypertension.
- Smoking raises pressure acutely and damages arteries long-term.
This page is general nutrition education. It is not medical advice, and nothing here should be used to adjust or stop blood pressure medication — that is a decision for your prescribing doctor only. If you're on medication, tell your GP about significant dietary changes, because improving your diet can lower blood pressure enough that your dose needs reviewing. For individualised advice, see your GP or an Accredited Practising Dietitian.
Where to start
Two changes beat ten. Compare the sodium per 100 g on your usual bread against two alternatives and switch to the lowest. Then add a potassium-rich food to two meals a day. If you drink daily, reducing that is likely your biggest lever.
Blood pressure and blood lipids usually travel together — if yours do, the cholesterol guide covers a very similar eating pattern, and the Australian Dietary Guidelines underpin both.
Frequently asked questions
What is the DASH diet?
Where does most dietary sodium come from?
How do I read sodium on a food label?
Does potassium help lower blood pressure?
References
- Appel LJ, et al. (1997). A clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure (DASH). New England Journal of Medicine, 336(16), 1117-1124.
- Heart Foundation Australia. Blood pressure and your heart.
- National Health and Medical Research Council. Nutrient Reference Values: Sodium.
Related reading
Get this applied to your body, not the average one
Everything above is general guidance. Our AI nutritionist turns it into a plan built around your goals, your preferences and your history — and a certified nutritionist is there when you need a human.
General nutrition information only — not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See our health disclaimer.