Diet taboos for hypertension during pregnancy

At present, there are only three types of foods that the medical community clearly needs to avoid 100% - high-sodium processed foods, hydrogenated oil products containing trans fatty acids, and all alcoholic beverages. The rest of the so-called "absolutely inedible" foods are basically rumors. Whether or not to eat them all depends on your own comorbidities and indicators. There is no one-size-fits-all taboo list.

You may not believe it, but many pregnant mothers have already strictly controlled the amount of salt they put in their meals, but their blood pressure is still unstable. Only when they asked did they find out that they had stepped on an invisible high-sodium trap. I worked with a pregnant mother who was 32 weeks pregnant. She only dared to put half a spoonful of salt in her cooking. As a result, she ate the sauce-flavored pancakes sold downstairs for breakfast every day. Her systolic blood pressure soared by 15mmHg in less than a week. The sodium content in pickles, bacon, ham, bean paste, oyster sauce, and even many bagged snacks was frighteningly high. The sodium content of two or three bites of the sauce pancakes may be as much as the amount of salt you use for cooking for a day. Here is a small controversy in the industry: I met a pregnant mother with gestational hypertension and hyponatremia during a joint consultation between the nutrition department and endocrinology department. She strictly controlled salt at home and did not even touch soy sauce. As a result, she felt weak and dizzy, and her blood pressure was higher. Finally, she followed the doctor's advice and added 5g of salt every day, and the indicators stabilized. So don’t believe what is said on the Internet that “pregnant women with pregnancy-induced hypertension must limit salt to no more than 3g per day.” Pregnant mothers who do not have low sodium problems can just control it within 5g. If there are really special circumstances, you must listen to the doctor in charge, and don’t control it blindly on your own. By the way, if you want to switch to low-sodium salt to control sodium, check your kidney function first. If there is a problem with your kidney function, don’t switch. The potassium content in low-sodium salt is high, and if it cannot be excreted, it will cause problems.

Let’s talk about trans fatty acids. The croissant you usually can’t help but buy, the crispy fried skewers at the school gate, the instant milk tea you hold in your hand in winter, and the vegetable butter used in many cheap cream cakes all contain trans fatty acids brought by hydrogenated vegetable oil. In fact, the vascular endothelium of pregnant women with gestational hypertension is more fragile than that of ordinary people. Trans fatty acids can aggravate blood vessel damage, make blood pressure more difficult to control, and increase the risk of blood clots. However, the attitudes of obstetrics and nutrition departments have always been slightly different on this point. Many obstetricians feel that it is not necessary to be completely abstinent. After all, hormones fluctuate greatly during pregnancy, and it is normal to want to eat something heavy. If you are depressed every day because of taboos, sympathetic nerve excitement will increase blood pressure. Occasionally eat about 100g of fried skewers, or a small cup of milk tea to satisfy your cravings. As long as you don't eat it every week or every day, there will basically be no big problem and you don't have to put such a big psychological burden on yourself.

As for alcoholic drinks, there is really no room for negotiation. Whether it is "drink less rice wine to promote blood circulation" as the elders at home say, or the so-called "alcohol-free beer" or "low-alcohol fruit wine" sold on the market, as long as the alcohol content is only 0.5 degrees, it may be passed to the fetus through the placenta, and it will also cause the blood vessels to contract in a short period of time, and the blood pressure will directly rise. If you encounter someone who advises you to drink these, just say it back without giving face.

The remaining "taboos" that are widely circulated are basically generalized rumors. I met a pregnant mother who was 28 weeks pregnant. I heard from the aunt in the community that egg yolks raise blood pressure. She only ate egg whites for two months. Finally, she was found to be deficient in vitamin D and lecithin. Her legs were cramping every day because of poor calcium absorption, and her blood pressure fluctuated. In fact, as long as your blood lipids are normal, there is no problem eating one whole egg every day. The high-quality protein you supplement can actually help stabilize the elasticity of your blood vessels. Others say you can’t eat seafood or fatty meat. As long as you don’t have high uric acid or allergies, you can eat steamed shrimp and steamed fish twice a week. The supplement of DHA and high-quality protein will be good for controlling blood pressure. ； If your blood lipids are normal, eating two pieces of braised pork occasionally will not directly cause your blood pressure to spike, so there is no need to scare yourself.

To be honest, pregnancy is hard enough, but if you have gestational hypertension and you have to eat this and that, it would be really unfair. As long as you remember the three core taboos and use natural ingredients such as tomatoes, lemons, and mushrooms to enhance the flavor when cooking, you don't have to boil them all in plain water. Occasionally, you can take a few bites of your favorite food, which will make you feel comfortable and your blood pressure will be easier to stabilize. If you are really not sure whether you can eat it, just take the food to your prenatal doctor and ask it. It is much more reliable than searching the messy taboo list on the Internet.