Blood Pressure Management: Try Mushrooms

Zoomer | May 4th, 2011

(NC)—Eating more foods rich in potassium, including fresh mushrooms, may help in blood pressure management

According to the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada, more than 40% of people with high blood pressure aren’t even aware they have it. Do you know what your blood pressure is? If the answer is no, be sure to get your blood pressure checked by a healthcare professional at least once every two years.

High blood pressure can damage the lining of arteries anywhere in the body leading to atherosclerosis or narrowing of the arteries. And that’s a real problem as it can double or even triple your risk of heart disease/stroke and increase your risk of kidney disease.

The good news is there are ways for you to control high blood pressure, and even prevent it from happening. Being at a healthy weight, cutting back on salt, and eating more foods rich in potassium, including fresh mushrooms, are three of the Heart & Stroke Foundation’s recommended lifestyle changes for controlling blood pressure.
Fresh Mushrooms Can Help!Say Good-bye to Sodium

Fresh mushrooms are very low in sodium, and because they contain Umami naturally enhance other foods – no need for salt. Use them to boost the flavor in pastas, salads, and stir-fries.

Aim for less than 2300 milligrams of sodium per day, about one teaspoon, from processed foods and salt added during food preparation and at the table. Read Nutrition Facts Labels to check how much sodium is in a food. If the % Daily Value is higher than 20, the food is considered high in sodium. Leave it on the shelf!

Watch that Weight

Fresh mushrooms are a perfect choice for weight management, since they have a high water content, are low in fat and contain some fibre: three factors that will help you feel full with fewer calories. That means less room for other calorie-laden foods.

Pick up more Potassium

Fresh white button mushrooms contain 318 milligrams of potassium (9% of the Daily Value) in each ½ cup serving. Getting a little more potassium will help counteract the effects of too much sodium on blood pressure.

Mushrooms Make a Difference

Add ½ cup white button mushrooms to your omelet or scrambled eggs instead of ½ cup cheddar cheese. Benefit: save 349 mg sodium and get twice the potassium (111 mg).

Mix 1 cup of diced grilled portabella mushrooms into pasta or pasta sauce instead of sausage. Benefit: save 632 mg sodium and get almost three times the potassium (630 mg).

Use ½ cup white button mushrooms with dips instead of corn chips. Benefit: save 552 mg sodium and get an extra 31 mg of potassium.

For more nutritional information and delicious recipes ideas visit www.mushrooms.ca.