27 foods that help lower blood pressure. You can control it.

Blood pressure has become a common condition in this era.

Blood pressure has become a common condition in this era. The lifestyle that people lead is thought to be the main cause of this problem. That is, most people would rather binge a drink and let go of their dietary plans in the hopes of making their life better and live it to the fullest. But that is not the reality. The harmful effects of such life comes back to haunt them in terms of ailments such as blood pressure and others. Hence, it is imperative to take care of oneself by adopting natural methods of staying healthy, so that the effects of something like blood pressure could be reduced. These few words could change your whole life. These foods could help reduce it.

27 foods that can help lower blood pressure

High blood pressure/hypertension is a blood pressure reading above 140/90 mmHg

Long-term high blood pressure has been known to increase the chance of getting of cardiovascular disease. Other impacts of high blood pressure are: poor circulation, risk of heart attack, risk of stroke and damage to the heart muscle and tissue. So it is worth reading this list!

List of Foods to help reduce Blood Pressure

Banana:

If one banana is consumed a day, it will provide 1% of the calcium, 8% of the magnesium, and 12% of the potassium needed per day. It is advised that brown bananas should not be thrown out, but instead should be made into smoothies to reduce wastage and improve health.

Kale:

Kale may be consumed raw or cooked. Whatever it is, it will benefit you by providing 9% of the calcium, 6% of the magnesium, and 9% of the potassium needed per day. Kale is recommended by all doctors because it is a superfood. It is high in antioxidants and hence reduces inflammation of vessel cells.

Broccoli:

Of the amount of supplements needed each day, one cup of broccoli provides 6% of the calcium, 8% of the magnesium, and 14% of the potassium. As an extra help, broccoli is also a famous for fighting cancer poly-nutrient called glucosinolates.

Quinoa:

Back in 2013, the United Nations had declared that year as an International Year of Quinoa. The reason behind this was that Quinoa is a high protein grain, better than brown rice and contains a variety of poly-nutrients which provides the body with some of the best nutrients available. In addition to that, it is gluten-free making it a great option for people with celiac disease. A half-cup of cooked quinoa contains 1.5% of the calcium, 15% of the magnesium, and 4.5% of the potassium.

Sweet Potato:

Sweet potato is considered as one of the most versatile foods because it can be consumed skinned or without skin, baked or raw. In fact, one average sized sweet potato provides the body with 4% of the calcium, 8% of the magnesium (7% without the skin), and 15% of the potassium (10% without the skin).

Avocado:

Avocado is one of people favorite fruit. An avocado contains disease-fighting compounds, health-promoting carotenoids, heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, and pressure-soothing minerals. These supplements consist of 1% of the calcium, 5% of the magnesium, and 10% of the potassium one needs every day.

Peaches:

Frozen unsweetened peach slices are considered a great alternative to fresh peaches and nectarines on a high blood pressure diet. One medium peach provides 1% of the calcium, 3% of the magnesium, and 8% of the potassium needed per day.

Red Bell Peppers:

One cup of raw red bell pepper provides 1% of the calcium, 4% of the magnesium, and 9% of the potassium needed every day. They are preferred by many because they can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Cinnamon:

Cinnamon is a very tasty seasoning food, just a little amount of it is required to bring out the flavor in certain recipes. It is preferred because it takes little to no effort to add it to your recipe while you still get the benefits of keeping your blood pressure numbers down. Those who intake cinnamon every day are said to have lower blood pressure a thing that is especially noticeable in diabetes patients.

Basil:

Basil is a delicious herb that goes with all types of food. Although briefly, extracts of basil still lower the blood pressure level. Adding fresh basil in our everyday diet is a small action that could quite easily help us in our endeavor to being healthy.

Flaxseed:

Omega-3 fatty acids are said to reduce high blood pressure. Flaxseed is rich in omega 3 fatty acids which protects the body against atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. It reduces serum and cholesterol by improving glucose tolerance and acts as an antioxidant. To get the optimum potency from flaxseed, it should be stored in the freezer.

Garlic:

Garlic is a very pungent seasoning but can be overdone during cooking. However, it still remains one of the best remedies that can help lower blood pressure levels by making the blood vessels to relax and dilate. This lets and allows blood to flow more freely and reduces blood pressure.

According to a number of studies that have been conducted, garlic has shown to reduce particularly systolic blood pressure. The magnitude of this decrease is believed to be less than 10 mm Hg for people who have high blood pressure.

The active constituents in garlic include sulfur-containing compound allicin, which acts on the body’s nitric oxide system that relaxes the arteries and lowers systolic blood pressure. People with high blood pressure usually use 600-2400mg of garlic powder or aged garlic extract in single or divided doses, taken for up to 12 weeks. Having said all this, garlic still isn’t safe to be consumed at all times and hence it should be double checked by the physician.

Cardamom:

Cardamom is an Indian seasoning that is regularly used in South Asian recipes. A study found that regular intakes of cardamom daily for several months had reduced blood pressure readings significantly. Since most Asian foods require seasoning, they seemed a lot healthier than those who had never consumed it.

Ginger:

Similar to cardamom, ginger is also a very common spice used in Asian cuisines. This particular spice helps to control blood pressure by improving circulation and relaxing the muscles around the blood vessels.

Celery Seed:

Celery seed is a very common herb used in soups and other savory dishes of China. In China, celery has long been used to treat hypertension but only recently has it been proved that it may actually be effective. One can either use the seeds to lower blood pressure or they can juice the whole plant for maximum potential. Celery is a diuretic, which may help explain its effect on blood pressure.

French Lavender:

This is a beautiful, perfume-like scented herb whose oil extracts have been used for ages to induce relaxation. Not many people think that it can be used as a culinary herb but its flowers and leaves can be used in the same way as rosemary. It has been found to effectively lower blood pressure.

Hawthorn:

Hawthorne is a type of herbal medicine that has become common in Chinese apothecary for thousands of years. It is mainly used to treat high blood pressure. Decoctions of hawthorn herbs have a whole variety of benefits including improvement of cardiovascular health, reduction of blood pressure, the prevention of clot formation, and an increase in blood circulation.

White beans:

White beans are a protein rich comfort food that contains up to 13% of the calcium, 30% of the magnesium, and 24% of the potassium we need per day.

Tenderloin:

For meat lovers, this food should be a matter of rejoicing after all the above herbs and spices. This lean cut provides all the satisfaction and flavor of beef, all the while being good for the blood pressure. In fact, it contains 6% of the magnesium and 15% of the potassium one needs every day.

Fat-free Plain Yogurt:

Being very cool and creamy, yogurt is considered the star ingredient in many minerals and nutrient rich breakfasts. Most regular yogurts seem to have a higher content of calcium than the normal Greek yogurt. One cup of fat-free plain yogurt provides 49% of the calcium, 12% of the magnesium, and 18% of the potassium needed every day.

Tilapia:

It differs from the other foods in this list, Tilapia is a mild white fish available throughout the year. It can be cooked in whatever way that suits one’s style. It is extremely low in environmental toxins like mercury and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), and is considered a sustainable, environmentally friendly choice. An average Tilapia or to be more specific, four ounces of tilapia provides 8% of the magnesium and 8% of the potassium needed every day.

Kiwifruit:

Similar to Tilapia, kiwifruit is a kind of fruit that can easily be found in in the supermarkets. And that is a blessing because they contain more vitamin C than a same-size serving of orange slices. Vitamin C has been shown to be a very good remedy that can be relied on to fight high blood pressure. One kiwifruit contains 2% of the calcium, 7% of the magnesium, and 9% of the potassium we need each day.

Hibiscus:

This is a more surprising aspect on the list because hibiscus as a flower than an actual food. But in reality, it is infused into tea and supplements believed to lower blood pressure in human studies. It is used to reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Two studies comparing hibiscus extract to angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (captopril or lisinopril) showed reductions for hibiscus tea groups, but the effects came out a lot less than those of the ACE-inhibitor groups. The hibiscus contains manganese, iron and copper content which may exceed recommended limits at high intakes.

Fish Oil/ Omega-3 Fatty Acid:

Fatty acids namely omega-3 fish oil has been proven to lower blood pressure in people with high blood pressures. This fatty acid is mainly found in fish and some other plant food. However, if you want to see a considerable change in the blood pressure level, huge amounts of omega-3 must be consumed. The problem with this is that it may increase the risk of bleeding in susceptible people including those with bleeding disorders or on medications. During studies, 2-4 grams of omega-3 fatty acids taken daily for up to one year was experimented.

Cocoa Extract/ Chocolate:

Chocolate or cocoa products are enriched with flavanols which have shown to slightly reduce blood pressure level in people high blood pressure or pre-hypertensive people. Consuming 50g cocoa per day is associated with a 2-3mm Hg reduction in blood pressure. Consumption of chocolate affects the nitric oxide system of the body leading to vasodilation and ultimately lowers blood pressure. It also may inhibit the angiotensin-converting enzyme. However, large amounts of chocolate intake, i.e. more than 400 mg a day or more, is not good for health because it contains large amounts of caffeine and sugar which may negatively affect blood sugar level.

Green Coffee Extract:

Green coffee refers to raw coffee beans that have not yet been toasted. Studies have found the presence of chlorogenic acid, a component in the green coffee extract, which is thought to be a leading cause of low blood pressure levels. Other researches have shown that different effects of roasted and green coffee on blood pressure may be due to a compound called hydroxyl hydro quinone, which may block the effects of chlorogenic acid on blood pressure. Other than that, Ferulic acid, is an acid with a metabolite of 5-caffeoylquinic acid, which is responsible for the hypotensive effects of green coffee extract. Furthermore, green coffee extract is said to promote weight loss, a leading remedy for high blood pressure.

Reduced Tea/ Caffeine Intake:

Both tea and coffee has caffeine in them, caffeine has shown to produce a temporary but marked in blood pressure rate. The increase is more noticeable for people who already have high blood pressure. In this case, green tea can be consumed as an alternative to caffeine because green tea catechins have been found in some studies to reduce blood pressure.

Foods that lower blood pressure quickly and foods to avoid with high blood pressure

How to lower blood pressure instantly? High blood pressure diet menu helps to lower blood pressure naturally and quickly. Some snacks for high blood pressure. Learn which foods can lower blood pressure naturally. You can lower your blood pressure without medication. Making changes to your diet is a proven way to help control high blood pressure.

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