Frederick Jace
Making changes to your diet can significantly lower your otherwise high blood pressure. Research suggests that certain foods can lower blood pressure, both in the long term and right away. In the United States, high blood pressure or hypertension affects one in three people. Dietary changes, medications, and lifestyle modifications can lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of all associated conditions. Moreover, your chance of kidney disease, stroke, and heart disease increases when you have high blood pressure.
So, here, in this article, we will discuss some foods that can help you lower your blood pressure. Let us get started and address them one by one.
Low-fat or fat-free yogurt
Dairy is an excellent source of calcium. It is one of the primary compounds that can help you combat blood pressure. Only a twelve-ounce serving of fat-free or low-fat yogurt can provide you with approximately thirty percent of your daily recommended calcium requirement.
‘In my morning breakfast, I consume granola with low-fat Greek yogurt, along with berries and almonds, and it provides me with super-healthy boost and is great for my heart,’ comments Gregg, an educator who offers assignment help Brisbane services.
Blueberries
Strawberries and blueberries have anthocyanins in them. These are antioxidant compounds, which are a type of flavonoid. In research involving 34,000 people with high blood pressure, it was found that people with a high anthocyanins intake, mainly from berries, such as strawberries and blueberries, showed approximately an eight percent reduction in the susceptibility to developing high blood, compared to those with lower anthocyanin intake.
Moira, an educator who offers online python homework help services, says, ‘I love eating berries as a dessert after my meals. Sometimes, I even add them to my oatmeal and smoothies.’
Citrus fruits
Citrus fruits, such as oranges, grapefruits, and lemons, have the potential to lower your blood pressure levels. These are rich in plant compounds, vitamins, and minerals that help keep your heart healthy and reduce your risk of developing hypertension.
In a five-month-old study conducted in Japan involving one hundred and one Japanese women, it was concluded that daily intake of lemon juice combined with walking proved to be significantly beneficial and lowered blood pressure levels. It so happens because of the presence of flavonoid content in lemons.
Further, some studies suggest that drinking grapefruit and orange juice can lower your blood pressure levels. However, before you add grapefruit and grapefruit juice to your diet, please speak to your medical healthcare professionals.
Bananas
Bananas are an excellent potassium source. Potassium is a mineral that has a vital role to play in hypertension management. A medium-sized banana has approximately four-hundred and twenty-two mg of potassium.
Following a study by the American Heart Association, potassium lowers the impact of sodium and relieves tension in the blood vessel walls. Reports suggest that an average adult must eat approximately 4700 mg of potassium daily. Some other potassium-dense foods that you need to add to your diet are:
- Mushrooms
- Avocado
- Tuna
- Halibut
- Honeydew melon
- Cantaloupe
- Mushrooms
- Beans
- Sweet potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Benas
However, if you suffer from any kidney disease, you must consult your doctor before adding potassium to your diet. Consuming too much potassium may not be the best decision for you.
Leafy greens
Leafy greens include spinach, kale, arugula, collard greens, romaine lettuce, beet greens, and Swiss chard. These are all phenomenal potassium sources.
Salmon and other fatty fish
Fatty fish are a phenomenal Omega-3 source. They have excellent health benefits and can lower your blood pressure levels and curtail the inflammation levels in the body. Further, consumption of this healthy fat can even lower the oxylipins in the body. Oxylipins are blood-vessel-constricting compounds. There suggests that consumption of higher Omega-3 fatty fish intake can reduce blood pressure levels.
Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate is a tasty treat and can reduce blood pressure levels. However, to keep your blood pressure levels in check, you need to consume cocoa-rich chocolate. Always shop for top-quality chocolate, which has approximately seventy percent cocoa. Please do not consume more than one ounce or a single square of chocolate in a day.
Swiss chard
Lastly, we have the Swiss Chard, a rich source of nutrients, such as magnesium and potassium, that can help regulate your blood pressure levels. Only about 145 grams or a cup of cooked Swiss chard can provide you with thirty percent and seventeen percent of your daily magnesium and potassium needs, respectively.
In people with high blood pressure levels, every 0.6 grams of dietary potassium in a day is linked with a 0.52 mm Hg decline in DBP and a 1.0 mm Hg decline in the SBP. A single cup will provide 792 mg of this essential nutrient. Further, magnesium also helps in blood pressure monitoring. It acts as a natural calcium channel blocker, which curtails the calcium movement into the arterial cells and heart by enabling the blood vessels to relax.
