DASH diet helps lower pressure

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Updated: November 27, 2011 1:21PM

Q. I have high blood pressure and was put on medication plus hydrochlorothiazide. I started to lose potassium and had to come off the HTZ. Now I can’t get my blood pressure down.

A. HTZ is a diuretic, or “water pill,” that’s a frontline treatment for lowering blood pressure. It works by triggering your kidneys to flush out excess water and salt, but potassium often gets flushed, too — right down the toilet. Usually it’s a mild deficiency that can be cured by eating potassium-rich foods and taking a supplement. But there’s a conundrum: a solid amount of potassium (plus calcium and magnesium) may be important for keeping your BP down.

There’s a great diet that’s swimming in these minerals and that will lower not only your BP (eight to 14 points) but also your cholesterol and heart attack risk (almost 20 percent). It’s called DASH, for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. On the menu: six servings of whole grains; three to four of vegetables; four of fruit; two to three of low/no-fat dairy foods; three to six of lean poultry, fish and meat; three of nuts, seeds or beans, and two of healthy monounsaturated fats (like olive, flaxseed and canola oils).

That’s a lot of food. Just try to slip in a bag of chips or a cruller! You won’t have room, so you’ll likely lose weight. Particularly if you follow DASH’s parallel Rx: Do 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day (arise and walk!).

Expect almost immediate gratification: DASH should start to nudge your numbers down in only 14 days. By the way, if that fails, there are many other medications that will get your BP down.

Q. Are there vitamins that help macular degeneration? I’ve been diagnosed with it.

A. If you have early age-related macular degeneration, we recommend frequently grazing at the salad bar to protect your sight. AMD is a leading cause of blindness, but good nutrition can help hold it off. Make a beeline for the carrots, spinach and other dark, leafy greens. You want their lutein, zeaxanthin and betacarotene; all fight AMD. Omega-3 fatty acids also are vision-savers; find them in wild or canned salmon, trout, canned tuna, some nuts (particularly walnuts) and supplements. We recommend 900 mg a day of algae-based omega-3s in their DHA form (the form your body likes best).

If you have intermediate AMD in one or both eyes — or advanced AMD in one eye but not the other — there’s good evidence that taking specific amounts of vitamins C, E, A (or beta carotene), copper and zinc can keep it from becoming advanced. This powerful combo is called the AREDS formula (for Age-Related Eye Disease Study). Talk to your ophthalmologist about it.

Q. My doctor put me on 81 mg of daily aspirin after I developed a blood clot. Since then, I get small, purply bruises on my arms and legs almost daily. I’m 66. Is this dangerous?

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