Which dietary change is recommended for hypertension?

• A. Increase sodium intake
• B. High-fat diet
• C. High sugar
• D. Decrease sodium intake

Answer: (D)

Dietary sodium directly affects blood pressure, so lowering sodium is a standard recommendation for hypertension. When sodium intake is high, the body retains more water, increasing blood volume and pressure in the arteries. Reducing sodium helps decrease fluid volume and lessen arterial resistance, which lowers blood pressure. Practical approaches include choosing fresh foods, avoiding highly processed items with added salt, and following patterns like the DASH approach that emphasize fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy with moderate sodium. The other options wouldn’t help: increasing sodium would raise blood pressure, while a high-fat or high-sugar diet can contribute to weight gain and metabolic issues that worsen hypertension.