Dietary Guidelines for Patients with Hypertension: Salt Restriction, Potassium Supplementation, and Dietary Structure Adjustment Plan

Lifestyle and Health of Hypertension Patients: As early as 1995, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned countries worldwide that unhealthy lifestyles leading to life-threatening diseases would sweep across third-world countries in the coming decades. In my country, addressing the health needs of 1.2 billion people and effectively controlling the incidence of cardiovascular disease requires more than just expanding medical services. Health education is of profound significance for my country, which is in the primary stage of socialism. It aims to quickly change people's limited health knowledge, establish healthy and orderly lifestyles, and transform scientific knowledge and health concepts into conscious public behavior. The Chinese Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Hypertension emphasize explaining the therapeutic significance of lifestyle changes to patients in a simple and patient way, encouraging them to consciously put these changes into practice and maintain them long-term. In recent years, health education has focused on adjusting the lifestyles of hypertension patients in the following aspects:

**Rational Diet:** A diet should include a complete range of nutrients in appropriate proportions.

For hypertension patients, it is emphasized that fat intake should be limited, and low-fat dairy products, low-cholesterol, high-vitamin, and moderate-protein fish protein can promote renal tubular sodium excretion and lower blood pressure. This also helps reduce sodium intake. A collaborative study of 10 population groups in my country showed a positive correlation between sodium and blood pressure. Appropriately limiting sodium intake and increasing potassium intake can lower blood pressure, reduce the dosage of antihypertensive drugs, mitigate risk factors in hypertensive patients, and be used for primary prevention of hypertension in the population. Dietary salt restriction can make the diet of hypertensive patients relatively bland and may affect their appetite. Therefore, cooking can use sweet and sour sauce, tomato sauce, or sesame paste for seasoning, and attention should be paid to the color, aroma, taste, and presentation of dishes to stimulate the patient's appetite. In northern China, the average daily salt intake should be reduced to 8 grams per person, and then further reduced to 6 grams; in southern China, it can be controlled below 6 grams. Reduce fat intake; daily fat calorie intake should be less than 30% of total calories. Saturated fatty acids should account for less than 10% (saturated fatty acids <7% for hypertensive patients). Increase patients' intake of fresh vegetables and fruits to increase fiber and vitamin C intake. Food choices should include beans or bean products, winter melon, radish, hawthorn, etc. Carbohydrates should account for 50%–60% of total daily calories.

The dietary principles for patients with hypertension should be as follows: ① Control calorie intake, avoid obesity, and maintain an ideal weight; ② Reduce salt intake, preferably less than 6 grams per day; ③ Increase the intake of foods rich in potassium and calcium, such as oatmeal, green beans, rapeseed, and oranges; ④ Appropriately increase the intake of seafood, such as kelp, dried shrimp, and seaweed; ⑤ Do not drink alcohol, smoke, use stimulating seasonings, or drink strong tea or coffee; ⑥ Eat regular, small, and frequent meals, with dinner being light, refined, and easily digestible.