What is high blood pressure?
When your blood pressure, or the force of your blood pressing against the walls of your blood vessels, is continuously too high, this condition is referred to as high blood pressure or hypertension.
Coronary artery disease is only one of the numerous heart diseases that high blood pressure can cause. High blood pressure causes arteries to constrict and get damaged, making it difficult to get blood to the heart. A heart attack, arrhythmias, or chest discomfort (angina) can result from not having enough blood supply to the heart.
Even though you might not feel anything is wrong, high blood pressure may subtly harm your health. The best defense against high blood pressure is being aware of your statistics and taking meaningful action, such as eating certain food for high blood pressure.
Foods that can help with high blood pressure
Pomegranates
Results from an animal and a clinical study have demonstrated that pomegranate juice can lower blood pressure over the long run as well as the short term. Antioxidant and anti-atherosclerotic properties work in concert with these benefits to enhance cardiovascular health.
Evidence suggests that consuming 1 cup of pomegranate juice every day for 28 days will temporarily decrease high blood pressure, according to an earlier study from 2012.
Fun Ways to Incorporate Pomegranates into Your Diet
- Add them to a fruit or green salad.
- On top of your yogurt or porridge, sprinkle some seeds.
- Add them to juices or smoothies.
- On avocado toast, sprinkle pomegranate seeds for a tart finishing touch.
- Use the flavorful seeds as a garnish on roasted or grilled meat dishes.
Berries
Aside from being delicious, anthocyanins, a class of flavonoid antioxidants, are found in blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Anthocyanins have been found to lower blood pressure in persons with hypertension, according to research.
Fun Ways to Incorporate Berries into Your Diet
- Snack on them.
- Blend them and make a smoothie.
- Add them on top of your pancake.
- Add them to your frozen yogurt.
Dark chocolate
Consuming dark chocolate is a fantastic way to increase your daily intake of cacao, which can help to decrease high blood pressure. Flavonoids in dark chocolate can create nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels and lowers high blood pressure.
One study examined 24 chocolate studies with 1,106 participants. It was discovered that dark chocolate (chocolate containing at least 50% to 70% cocoa) significantly reduced blood pressure in persons with hypertension.
Bananas
Two bananas a day for a week can lower your blood pressure by 10%, according to studies.
You might not be aware that eating a banana every day can lower blood pressure. Potassium, an essential element for decreasing blood pressure, is abundant in this fruit. The body’s sodium levels are regulated by potassium. Your body excretes more salt when you eat more potassium.
Fun Ways to Incorporate Bananas into Your Diet
- Mix mashed ripe banana with your chosen nut butter and put on top of toast.
- Mix mashed ripe banana with plain Greek yogurt, then use as a dip for apple slices.
- Add chopped banana to your oatmeal or cereal.
Watermelon
Citrulline can be found in watermelon. Citrulline, an amino acid, is transformed by the body into arginine, which helps your body to produce nitric oxide, a gas that relaxes blood vessels and promotes flexibility in arteries. Blood flow is improved as a result of these actions, which can decrease high blood pressure.
In a small study, researchers showed that watermelon extract reduced ankle blood pressure in middle-aged people with early hypertension or high blood pressure and obesity.
Fun Ways to Incorporate Watermelon into Your Diet
- Juice it!
- Make a beet smoothie
- Slice and snack on it
Beets
After just a few hours of consumption, beets can drastically reduce blood pressure, according to studies. Lowered blood pressure and reduced inflammation are both supported by consuming raw beet juice and cooked beets. However, raw beet juice has a better effect.
Beets and beet juice are rich in nitrates, which your body converts to nitric oxide. Nitric oxide relaxes your arteries which also widens them. This allows more blood to flow through – significantly lowering blood pressure.
Fun Ways to Incorporate Beets into Your Diet
- Add beets to your salad.
- Have a morning drink for high blood pressure by juicing beets.
- Roasted with goat cheese.
Kiwis
Kiwi is an excellent food for high blood pressure. One research found that consuming three kiwis each day significantly reduced blood pressure. Kiwis contain a lot of vitamin C. According to an earlier study, people’s blood pressure levels significantly decreased after taking 500 mg of vitamin C daily for roughly 8 weeks.
Fun Ways to Incorporate Kiwi into Your Diet
- Snack on it after peeling the skin and kiwi into pieces
- Make a kiwi smoothie
- Make a kiwi lemonade
- Add to your salad
Oats
Oats are high in soluble fiber and when included in a balanced diet, have been demonstrated to lower cholesterol levels and dramatically decrease blood pressure.
If you have hypertension, oatmeal is an excellent breakfast option, but oat bran can offer even more health advantages due to its increased fiber content, which can assist to decrease blood pressure and enhance digestive health.
What else can you do to lower your blood pressure?
- Limit Sodium. The number one food that causes high blood pressure is salt or specifically the sodium in salt.
- Limit foods to increase blood pressure. Certain food that increases hypertension (and therefore you should limit) include foods with saturated and trans fat, fried foods, fast foods, and processed foods.
- Exercise regularly. Aside from limiting the number one food that causes high blood pressure, 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily can reduce a person’s high blood pressure by 5 to 8 mm Hg.
- Quit smoking. Smoking increases blood pressure. Quitting smoking can increase general health. It can also lower your chance of developing heart disease.
