According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, foods from fast food restaurants contain an average of 1,848 milligrams of sodium per 1,000 calories. It’s even worse when it comes to dine-in restaurant food. Foods from dine-in restaurants have an average of 2,090 milligrams of sodium per 1,000 calories. To put that in perspective, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend keeping sodium under 2,300 milligrams a day because too much sodium increases blood pressure.
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Dr. Hickey explains that while medication can help keep blood pressure levels in check, as soon as someone stops taking it, levels will go back up. “Think of it less like an antibiotic that clears an infection and more like a thermostat quietly holding the temperature down,” he says. “Treating high blood pressure with medication while ignoring your diet is like turning on the air conditioning during a Texas summer but leaving all the doors and windows wide open. The medication is working hard to lower the pressure, but a high-sodium, highly processed diet is actively pushing it back up.”
Dr. Alex Gyftopoulos, MD, a preventive cardiologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center and an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, points out that maintaining a heart-healthy diet helps prevent obesity and high cholesterol, two other important parts of caring for your heart that a blood pressure-lowering medication doesn’t address.
The Worst Fast Food Items for High Blood Pressure
Unfortunately, most foods on fast food restaurant menus aren’t exactly great for heart health—or health in general. Dr. Gyftopoulos says that the worst foods for high blood pressure include anything highly processed and high in sodium.
“The single biggest offender in fast food is sodium, and it's largely hidden. Salt acts like a sponge in your bloodstream. Where sodium goes, water follows, so a high-salt meal pulls extra fluid into your blood vessels. More fluid in the same set of pipes means more pressure pushing against the walls—that's your blood pressure rising,” he says.
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Most fast food restaurants do offer salads, offering a healthier alternative to the burger-and-fries combos. “Diets rich in fresh vegetables support healthy blood pressure,” Dr. Gyftopoulos says of why salad is a great fast food option for people with hypertension.
When ordering your salad, both cardiologists say to skip the dressing, which is often high in sodium or sugar. If a naked salad sounds unappetizing to you, Dr. Hickey recommends having the dressing on the side, which is a way to control how much you consume. And if you can choose between an oily dressing and a creamy one, go for the oily option.
2. Burrito or burrito bowl
Even though bean-based entrees are heart-healthy, many can still be high in sodium. Dr. Gyftopoulos points out that most fast food restaurants provide nutrition information in-store or online, which is worth giving a read and checking out the sodium before ordering.
If you’re a chicken nugget lover, it’s worth seeking out a Chick-fil-A to satisfy your craving. It’s one of the few fast food restaurants that offers grilled nuggets instead of ones that are breaded.
When eating your nuggets, Dr. Hickey suggests just being mindful of the dipping sauces, which can be high in sodium.
4. Grilled chicken sandwich
Dr. Gyftopolous explains that grilling uses less oil and other fats compared to frying, which makes grilled chicken sandwiches lower in calories than breaded chicken sandwiches. “This may better support the goal of maintaining a healthy body weight and, by extension, a healthy blood pressure,” he says.
As with other fast food items, both cardiologists say that these egg-based foods can still be high in sodium, so it’s a good idea to check the nutrition panel online if it’s not available in stores.
Tips for ordering
1. Choose grilled instead of fried.2. Get sauces and dressings on the side.3. Drink water instead of soda.4. Add vegetables or beans.5. Skip the extra cheese and processed meat.
Up Next:
Related: Cardiologists Are Begging People To Stop Pairing This Common Supplement With Blood Pressure Medication
Sources
Reducing sodium in restaurant foods is an opportunity for choice. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Dr. Weston Hickey, MD, FACC, FSCAI, cardiologist with Willowbrook Cardiovascular Associates in Houston, Texas.Dr. Alex Gyftopoulos, MD, preventive cardiologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center and an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.Hence then, the article about the 5 healthiest fast food orders if you have high blood pressure according to cardiologists was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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