Lower Blood Pressure Effectively With These 5 Foods
High blood pressure is one of the factors leading to cardiovascular problems. A healthy diet is essential to help reduce blood pressure and maintain optimal blood pressure levels. Studies have shown that certain foods in the diet, especially those high in specific nutrients such as potassium and magnesium… can effectively help reduce blood pressure.
Below are foods that American nutrition experts suggest people with high blood pressure should add to their daily diet:
1. Beets
Beets are high in nitrate compounds, which the body converts into nitric oxide – a chemical that helps dilate arteries and veins and promote blood flow. Nitrates also reduce the burden on the heart, Which lowers blood pressure.
A meta-analysis of studies found that consuming 70-250 ml of beet juice daily for 3-60 days significantly reduced systolic blood pressure. Beet also contains potassium and magnesium which are beneficial for stabilizing blood pressure, preventing sudden cardiac arrest, heart attack and stroke.
In addition, radishes are rich in fiber, have a low glycemic index, and contain many chemical compounds that reduce the amount of glucose absorbed by the intestines, controlling blood sugar levels. Anthocyanin antioxidants in beets can lower bad cholesterol levels in the blood and prevent atherosclerosis.
2. Citrus fruits
Some citrus fruits such as grapefruit, oranges, and lemons… can effectively lower blood pressure. They contain many vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds that may help keep the heart healthy by reducing heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure.
A 5-month study of 100 Japanese women found that drinking lemon water daily combined with light exercise, such as walking, can reduce diastolic blood pressure because Lemon contains a lot of citric acid and flavonoids.
Studies also show that drinking orange and grapefruit juice can help reduce blood pressure. However, grapefruit and grapefruit juice can interfere with common blood pressure medications (prone to adverse interactions), so consult your doctor before adding this fruit to your diet.
3. Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds are one of the list of foods for people with high blood pressure. Pumpkin seeds have a lot of important nutrients (potassium, magnesium and arginine), which help control high blood pressure effectively.
In addition, pumpkin seed oil has also been proven to be a natural remedy, helping to control high blood pressure. Supplementing 3 grams of pumpkin seed oil daily for 6 weeks significantly reduced systolic blood pressure levels compared to placebo.
4. Berries for people with high blood pressure
Some berries, such as blueberries, contain abundant amounts of flavonoids, which help lower blood pressure naturally. In addition, fruits such as raspberries and strawberries also contain a lot of nitric oxide, which helps increase blood circulation and relax blood vessels, thereby helping blood pressure levels to be well controlled.
Most berries contain a significant amount of anthocyanin compounds, which promote the production of more nitric oxide in the blood, while inhibiting bad molecules that affect blood vessels to effectively reduce blood pressure levels.
According to research results on 34,000 people with high blood pressure levels, people who consume a lot of anthocyanins tend to reduce the risk of hypertension by up to 8% compared to people with low levels of this antioxidant.
5. Garlic
The results of many studies show that consuming garlic regularly helps increase the content of nitric oxide, helping the body relax blood vessels and create favorable conditions for blood to circulate more easily.
Garlic may help lower blood pressure in people who already have high blood pressure thanks to compounds such as allicin, alliin and S-allyl-L-cysteine (SAC). These compounds have anti-inflammatory properties, act as antioxidants, and widen blood vessels to help blood circulate more easily.
Thanks to the above effects, consuming garlic every day can help patients with high blood pressure control their condition well. Furthermore, garlic extract has also been used to reduce diastolic and systolic blood pressure levels in people with hypertension.
Eating a diet rich in foods rich in potassium, magnesium and calcium can help you reduce high blood pressure levels and prevent other related health risks. Therefore, daily diet really has a certain influence on a patient’s ability to control blood pressure. However, if you suspect or check that your blood pressure is not normal, you need to see a doctor soon. You should not try to fix it yourself at home because these are only supportive measures.