ABSTRACT
Nutrition Lifestyle modication is an important part of hypertension management and of overall health. There are several well-accepted comprehensive guidelines that meticulously describe the measures of a healthy lifestyle. They include direction in eating a healthy and balanced diet, maintaining a normal body weight, engaging in adequate physical activity, and minimizing harmful habits and addictions. Two examples of these are the Dietary Guidelines for Americans1 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP)2 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. These guidelines promote the acquisition of adequate dietary nutrients with preference to consumption of unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, a diet similar to that of prehistoric man. The recommendations rely on advice from the Institute of Medicine, which is a nonprot and nongovernmental American organization, as well as current research and clinical studies. Nutrients can be divided into micronutrients (such as vitamins and minerals) and macronutrients (the calorie-based food groups such as fats, carbohydrates, proteins, and ber). The Institute of Medicine provides Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for most nutrients, comprised of a set of values dening the recommended daily amounts as well as the safe ranges.3 This chapter will focus on several nutrients that affect blood pressure without prejudice to others essential to overall health.
