Foods That Lower Blood Pressure That You Must Include In Your Diet
The force of your blood at which it pushes against the blood vessel walls is termed blood pressure. Blood is pumped from your heart into your blood vessels (arteries) that convey it throughout your body.
Hypertension occurs when the pressure of the blood in arteries usually exceeds the normal range. No one exactly knows the cause of high blood pressure in most instances.
What is known is that the food you eat could have a negative or positive impact on your blood pressure.
You might be concerned about taking blood pressure medication for lowering your blood pressure if you have been diagnosed with the same. However, to treat high blood pressure, you have to alter your lifestyle.
You might be able to lessen, prevent, or delay the need for blood pressure medication if you can successfully normalize your blood pressure through a healthy lifestyle.
In this article, we will be looking at some foods which might lower blood pressure.
Contents
List Of Foods That Lower Blood Pressure
Here are some of the foods which might lower blood pressure:
Kiwis
According to a 2015 study, a per-day dose of kiwi could help to manage mildly elevated blood pressure.
People who ate two kiwis per day for six weeks had lower diastolic and systolic blood pressure than those who ate an apple daily for the same period.
The authors of the study speculate that this is related to the bioactive chemicals found in kiwis. Vitamin C is also abundant in kiwis.
People who received 600 mg of vitamin C per day for about 10 weeks noticed considerable improvements in their blood pressure readings, according to a study.
Kiwis are easy to incorporate into smoothies or meals. One serving is usually 1 cup of kiwifruit or 3-5 kiwifruits.
Kiwi is also listed as one of the fruits that can eat in the keto diet. Hence, if you love to follow the keto diet and want to improve your blood pressure, consuming Kiwi could be a fantastic option.Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are modest in size, however, they carry a nutritional punch. They are a rich source of nutrients that help in controlling blood pressure.
Pumpkin seeds contain potassium and magnesium. They also contain arginine, which is an amino acid required for the creation of nitric oxide.
It helps blood vessels to relax and also lowers blood pressure. The pumpkin seed oil has also been shown to be an effective treatment for hypertension which is natural in its approach.
When compared to a group of a placebo, supplementing it with 2 grams of pumpkin seed oil daily for 8 weeks resulted in substantial reductions of SBP in 24 women.
Fermented Foods
Probiotics are good bacteria that could help control blood pressure. They are abundant in fermented meals. Researchers reviewed data from 11565 people aged 45 and up.
Women who ate fermented soy foods and had gone through menopause had a lower risk of hypertension, according to the findings. For men, however, this did not appear to be the case.
Sodium is a risk factor for high blood pressure. Therefore, doctors often recommend limiting salt consumption.
Despite the high sodium content, a 2016 study found that consuming salt fermented vegetables did not increase the risk of high blood pressure.
Carrots
Carrot is a staple vegetable in many people’s diets as they are nutritious, crunchy, and sweet. Carrots could be eaten cooked or raw, although eating them raw might be more useful to lower blood pressure.
Carrots include phenolic chemicals, such as caffeic acids, chlorogenic, and p-coumaric. They help in relaxing blood vessels and also reduce inflammation, which potentially lowers blood pressure.
Reduced blood pressure was found to be strongly related to raw carrot consumption according to readings of a study involving 2295 participants aged 40-60.
Another research of 16 persons found that drinking 15 ounces (475 ml) of carrot juice daily for two months reduced SBP. However, DBP was not reduced.
Watermelon
Citrulline is an amino acid that is found in watermelon. It is converted to arginine in the body, which aids in the production of nitric oxide.
Nitric oxide is a gas that promotes artery flexibility and relaxes blood vessels. These effects help in improving blood flow, which could help to control high blood pressure.
Adults with prehypertension and obesity were given watermelon containing 5 grams of L-arginine and L-citrulline in a study.
The primary artery of the upper arm is known as the brachial artery. Blood pressure in the brachial arteries and ankles was lower after 5 weeks for the subjects.
In brief, research published in 2019, 26 persons drank watermelon juice and another beverage before exercising.
Women who drank watermelon juice did not have an increase in blood pressure after exercise, however, men did.
Tomatoes
Tomato products and tomatoes are high in the carotenoid pigment lycopene and potassium, among different minerals. Lycopene has been linked to improved heart health.
Consuming foods high in this nutrient, such as tomatoes, might help in reducing risk factors for heart disease like high blood pressure.
According to an analysis of 24 studies, eating tomato products and tomatoes lowered the risk of heart disease, mortality from heart disease, and blood pressure.
Bananas
Bananas are high in potassium. It could aid in the management of hypertension. A medium banana provides around 424 milligrams of potassium.
Potassium, according to the American Heart Association (AHA), relieves stress in the walls of blood vessels and decreases the effects of salt.
Women should consume 2800 mg of potassium daily, while men should consume 3500 mg, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements.
As too much potassium might be dangerous, people having kidney illnesses should seek medical advice before increasing their potassium consumption.
⅔ of a cup of mashed banana, 1 cup of sliced banana, or 1 large banana constitutes a serving.
Beets
Beet greens and beets are high in nutrients. Consuming them could help you in maintaining healthy blood pressure.
They are high in nitrates, which aid in the relaxation of blood vessels and might lower blood pressure.
According to this study, including beet products and beet in your diet could help you to maintain healthy blood pressure.
A 2 week trial of 26 persons having high blood pressure indicated that drinking both 8.9 ounces (245 grams) of cooked beets and 8.5 ounces (240 ml) of beet juice decreased blood pressure considerably, albeit the beet juice was more effective.
Different research has connected beet juice and beet consumption to lower blood pressure. However, not each of them has found positive outcomes.
According to some research, beets’ effects on blood pressure are transient. They might not make a significant difference in the long-term regulation of blood pressure.
Beet greens, beet juice, and beet are high in nutrients and might help you to enhance your general health if you include them in your diet.
Pulses
Lentils are high in fiber and protein. Researchers believe lentils could help patients with hypertension. The effects of a pulse-rich meal on animals were studied by the authors of a study.
The animals ate a diet consisting of 35% pulses, such as chickpeas, peas, beans, and lentils. Pulses consumption was found to lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
A review from 2015 suggests that consuming pulses might lower blood pressure in adults without and with hypertension, according to a study.
Swiss Chard
Swiss chard is a leafy vegetable. It is high in magnesium and potassium, both of which help in regulating blood pressure.
Cooked chard provides 35 percent and 16 percent of your daily magnesium and potassium needs, respectively, in one cup (146 grams).
A 0.5-gram increase in dietary potassium per day is related to a 0.53 mm Hg drop in DBP and a 1 mm Hg reduction in SBP in adults having high blood pressure.
Swiss chard has 795 mg of this vital nutrient per cup (146 grams). Magnesium is also required to keep blood pressure in check.
It lowers blood pressure in several ways, including functioning as a blocker of calcium channels. It prevents calcium from entering arterial cells and the heart and allows blood vessels to relax.
Conclusion
Adults have a blood pressure of 120/80 mmHg on average. If you have high blood pressure, you should see a doctor right away.
Every day, the number of people having high blood pressure increases quite dramatically in each family. An active lifestyle and a balanced diet could help in preventing high blood pressure.
You are aware that prevention is preferable to cure. Therefore, limit your intake of caffeine, salt, and alcohol, and live an active lifestyle.
Adopting lifestyle changes when combined with a nutritious diet might help to lower blood pressure and also lessen your risk of heart disease.
Adding carrots, leafy greens, beans, berries, lentils, fatty fish, seeds, and citrus fruits to your snacks and meals, according to a study, could help you achieve and also maintain ideal blood pressure.
Adding a couple of the foods recommended in this article to your diet might assist if you want to maintain healthy blood pressure or have high blood pressure.