{"id":1211,"date":"2017-11-14T07:04:01","date_gmt":"2017-11-14T07:04:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=1211"},"modified":"2021-03-15T18:29:37","modified_gmt":"2021-03-15T18:29:37","slug":"20-healthy-foods-lower-blood-pressure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/20-healthy-foods-lower-blood-pressure\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Healthy Foods That Lower Blood Pressure"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"If you have high blood pressure, then it is highly important that you look for ways to lower it as soon as you can. High blood pressure works just like high pressure in your plumbing: it means there\u2019s a build up of force within a closed system that can place a strain on that system. If this becomes too great, it can end up causing some part of that system to break and very often this will mean leading to a heart attack or a stroke.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, there are plenty of methods you can use to lower high blood pressure and many of these will involve fixing you diet. Diet is one of the key causes of high blood pressure and is responsible for much of the makeup of not only your blood but also your body as a whole.
If you have high blood pressure then, you should seek to alter your diet ASAP. Here are 20 foods to add to it for the best outcome.<\/p>\n

1. Tuna<\/h3>\n

Tuna<\/a> is an incredible health food and will find itself on a ton of lists like this one. Apart from being an excellent lean source of protein, it is also a great way to get omega 3 fatty acid. This is an essential fatty acid that has a ton of positive effects on the body, including lowering blood pressure.<\/p>\n

One way omega 3 does this is by being used in the construction of cells. Specifically, it is used when building cell walls which allows them to become more flexible and permeable. This keeps the blood vessels similarly less rigid and even lubricates them to an extent.<\/p>\n

\"\"2. Salmon<\/h3>\n

Another place to get that much needed omega 3 is from salmon<\/a>. Salmon is another great source of lean protein too and it is less likely to carry the same risk of high mercury as tuna.<\/p>\n

The other reason that omega 3 is so beneficial is that it can help to alter the balance of omega 3 to omega 6. Omega 6 is found in much of our modern diet and is responsible for increasing blood pressure when we eat it in high quantities. Fortunately, the body always maintains a balance of omega 3 and 6, so that when we get more of one, we automatically lower the other.<\/p>\n

Salmon is also a good source of potassium!<\/p>\n

\"\"3. Cereal<\/h3>\n

Cereal<\/a> is a good source of fiber and a great way to start your day for that reason that can help to sweep through your system and remove fatty deposits and other issues that can lead to higher blood pressure.<\/p>\n

At the same time, many cereals are fortified with a range of additional minerals and vitamins in many cases, which will often include potassium and calcium. This isn\u2019t as good as getting those minerals naturally but it\u2019s better than not getting them at all!<\/p>\n

\"\"4. Milk<\/h3>\n

Milk<\/a> is very good for high blood pressure for two reasons. For one it is a good source of the good kind of cholesterol HDL. This is high density lipoprotein and it is actually good for your overall cholesterol and for your blood pressure.<\/p>\n

Many people think they need to avoid all kinds of fats if they are struggling with high blood pressure but actually this is not accurate \u2013 it\u2019s just the bad LDL kind that they need to be aware of!<\/p>\n

The other reason is that milk is high in magnesium. We\u2019ll see in a moment that magnesium is among the most important minerals for lowering high blood pressure and at the same time, it\u2019s also ideal for relaxing the body. This can help you to get to sleep, it can help to put you in a calmer state and it can even help you to reduce the excitatory neurotransmitters that might otherwise make you more highly aroused and \u2018wired\u2019.<\/p>\n

\"\"5. Eggs<\/h3>\n

Eggs<\/a> are another very good source of the beneficial kind of cholesterol and are very good for your blood overall. They also help to maintain healthy hormone balance and are packed with essential amino acids to support good general health. Eggs are one of the only complete proteins \u2013 meaning that they contain all of those necessary amino acids in one food source.<\/p>\n

If you want to go even further, you can consider blending up the shell and eating that. Be sure to wash it thoroughly to remove any bacteria. But if you do this, you can actually get 100% of your RDA from a single egg!<\/p>\n

\"\"6. Bananas<\/h3>\n

Bananas<\/a> are good for you for a large number of reasons. These are a healthy source of energy,
they are convenient and they are packed with beneficial nutrition. But they\u2019re also one of the richest sources of potassium available, which means that they can help you to combat cramps and also reduce high blood pressure directly.<\/p>\n

As an added bonus, bananas can have a knock-on effect by improving sleep. Because they reduce cramping during the night, they can prevent you waking up. And when you are better rested, your blood pressure will be lower.<\/p>\n

\"\"7. Beets<\/h3>\n

Beets<\/a> are incredibly good for high blood pressure and in fact offer one of the most powerful \u2018quick\u2019 options for improving it. That\u2019s because beets are naturally vasodilatory and that means that they\u2019ll help to dilate and open up the blood vessels.<\/p>\n

This in turn means that blood will be able to flow more freely around your circulatory system and won\u2019t get as \u2018stuck\u2019 or require as much force and pressure to get around.<\/p>\n

This actually makes beets a viable option for performance enhancement and many athletes will consume beet juice prior to a run!<\/p>\n

\"\"8. Garlic<\/h3>\n

Garlic<\/a> is another example of a vasodilator and will help to open up the blood vessels to allow blood to flow more easily around.<\/p>\n

Remember: blood pressure refers to how tightly packed the blood is in your veins. If you have
wider veins or if you have thinner blood, then both these things will actually help to lower the pressure. It\u2019s just like drinking water through a wider straw!<\/p>\n

At the same time, garlic has a wide range of other health benefits. It is particularly good for fighting bacteria for instance and can help to cure colds and a range of other infections.<\/p>\n

\"\"9. Water<\/h3>\n

Water<\/a> is a powerful option for helping to dilute the blood and thereby make it thinner. As we\u2019ve seen, this is a very effective way to lower your blood pressure.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, is that a surprising third of the population is actually chronically dehydrated. And chronic dehydration will result in the body being in a kind of \u2018shock\u2019 that triggers a fight or flight response. This is just like when we are overtired.<\/p>\n

The result is that drinking water can often help to soothe your system and put things back to normal \u2013 helping to regulate your heartrate and lower your blood pressure in the process.<\/p>\n

\"\"10. Apples<\/h3>\n

Apples<\/a> are beneficial for blood pressure for a few reasons. You know the old saying: an apple a day keeps the doctor away. At bay. Horay!<\/p>\n

Firstly, apples are high in fiber and soluble fiber, meaning that they can help once again to sweep through your system and remove the unwanted fatty deposits and plaque that can cause your veins to become rigid and eventually build up blood pressure.<\/p>\n

At the same time, apples are a great source of vitamins and particularly many vitamins that will act as antioxidants. This helps to lower inflammation.<\/p>\n

Finally, apples are also high in epicatechin \u2013 which we\u2019ll discuss in more detail shortly.<\/p>\n

\"\"11. Oranges<\/h3>\n

Oranges<\/a> are another great option for those that want to lower their blood pressure. While the fructose might not be great, it isn\u2019t a big issue when consumed in moderation.<\/p>\n

Other than that, you\u2019ll be benefiting once again from vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant and which can help to strengthen the immune system. This is another way in which it can fight inflammation and generally keep your system running smoothly.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, vitamin C is also useful for raising serotonin. This in turn is a happiness hormone or an \u2018endorphin\u2019 and has the benefit of reducing the heartrate, improving the mood and generally calming everything down.<\/p>\n

\"\"12. Supplements\/Meds<\/h3>\n

NO2 is not a food but a supplement. Specifically, this supplement is designed to increase vasodilation just like garlic and beets but on a grander scale for improving athletic performance.<\/p>\n

This is something that could help to lower blood pressure \u2013 but you should always be careful to check that there are no added stimulants like caffeine for workout which can make your heartrate higher and increase stress.<\/p>\n

Better is aspirin<\/a> in that case \u2013 but check with your GP first.<\/p>\n

\"\"13. Chocolate<\/h3>\n

Chocolate and particularly dark chocolate is a great source of epicatechin<\/a>. We\u2019ve teased this a little already but basically, epicatechin is another vasodilator. It has been shown in numerous studies to help improve mood, performance and much more.<\/p>\n

Epicatechin has actually been shown to help improve performance in IQ tests, simply by improving blood supply to the brain!<\/p>\n

Dark chocolate has a lot of additional benefits too, being a good source of fiber and good for raising another inhibitory neurotransmitter called \u2018oxytocin\u2019. It tastes great too. Just try to avoid types that are high in sugar.<\/p>\n

\"\"14. Berries<\/h3>\n

Berries<\/a> are a fantastic source of vitamin C, which as we have seen has a lot of benefits. Not only does vitamin C help to combat the free radicals that can otherwise attack and damage the system to raise blood pressure and threaten the immune system, but it can also improve serotonin.<\/p>\n

Something to note is that serotonin eventually converts into melatonin \u2013 the sleep hormone. This is another great way to increase relaxation and to generally feel great.<\/p>\n

\"\"15. Grapes<\/h3>\n

Grapes<\/a> are very high in one of the most powerful antioxidants of all: resveratrol. For a while, studies suggested that resveratrol might be the sole reason that Mediterranean diets lead to longer lives. This turned out to be a slight error in the way that the studies were designed, but it still holds true that grapes are incredibly good for combating free radicals.<\/p>\n

At the same time, resveratrol is also a powerful tool for increasing the performance of the mitochondria. These are the energy factories in the cells and when you improve their performance, it helps to reduce the impact of sugar on the body and thereby lowers high blood pressure.<\/p>\n

\"\"16. White Beans<\/h3>\n

The \u2018DASH\u2019 diet is a diet that is very often recommended for those with high blood pressure. It essentially consists of avoiding foods high in sodium while simultaneously seeking out potassium<\/a>, magnesium and calcium.<\/p>\n

Well in that case, white beans are dashing indeed! That\u2019s because they contain not only 13% of your calcium RDV but also 30% of your magnesium and 24% of your potassium. They\u2019re not something you will come across often but if you seek them out, they\u2019re highly versatile and work very well in a tuna salad or in a soup. They\u2019re pretty good for protein too and are a great option for vegetarians for that reason.<\/p>\n

\"\"17. Valerian Root<\/h3>\n

Valerian root<\/a> is another useful option for helping to relax the body, which in turn can help to relax the heartrate and lower blood pressure. It also aids with sleep, which can in turn help to combat one of the bigger causes of high blood pressure.<\/p>\n

Valerian root works as a muscle relaxant and in this way, it is very effective for combating one of the most common causes of high blood pressure that we\u2019ve discussed: lack of sleep.<\/p>\n

Just be careful if your poor sleep is called by obstructive apnea, as this can actually be worsened by valerian root.<\/p>\n

\"\"18. Green Vegetables<\/h3>\n

Green vegetables have a number of very positive effects on the body and especially when it comes to hypertension. For one, green vegetables are very often great sources of calcium and magnesium. Broccoli<\/a> is a good example.<\/p>\n

Another big benefit is that green vegetables are a good source of inositol. Inositol is another effective nutrient for relaxing the body and is one of the best foods out there for combating stress.<\/p>\n

\"\"19. Green Tea<\/h3>\n

Like many of the items on this list, green tea has a large slew of different health benefits and is something that can improve your high blood pressure in numerous ways.<\/p>\n

Apart from being an excellent source of antioxidants<\/a>, it is also a good source of relaxing xanthines such as l-theanine and theobromine.<\/p>\n

The caffeine isn\u2019t ideal but throw in the tannins and you have a substance that does more good than harm for those with hypertension.<\/p>\n

\"\"20. Cordyceps Mushroom<\/h3>\n

Cordyceps<\/a> is something of a miracle cure for all kinds of things. This rare fungus grows in the Himalayas and has a range of health benefits. Perhaps among the most interesting is its seeming ability to help combat adrenal fatigue.<\/p>\n

This means that it can be useful in fighting the damage caused by chronic stress, which in turn makes it highly useful for helping to reduce inflammation and therefore high blood pressure.<\/p>\n\r\n

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