High blood pressure, often known as hypertension, is the most prevalent preventable risk factor for heart disease. Over 1 billion people throughout the world have high blood pressure, which is defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 130 mm Hg or higher, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of more than 80 mm Hg, or both.
Blood pressure medications, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, are frequently used to lower blood pressure. However, making lifestyle adjustments, such as dietary changes, can help you lower your blood pressure and lower your risk of heart disease. All patients with high blood pressure, especially those using blood pressure drugs, should eat a nutritious, heart-healthy diet.
A healthy diet is critical for decreasing blood pressure and maintaining appropriate levels, and studies have shown that having certain foods in your diet, particularly those high in key nutrients like potassium and magnesium, lowers blood pressure. The top foods for high blood pressure are listed below.
Table of Contents
1. Amaranth
Consuming whole grains such as amaranth may assist in decreasing blood pressure. Whole-grain diets have been shown in studies to lower the risk of high blood pressure.
According to a study of 28 research, a 30-gram increase in whole grains per day was linked to an 8% lower risk of high blood pressure. Amaranth is a whole grain with a high magnesium content. One cooked cup (246 grams) contains 38% of your daily magnesium requirements.
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2. Swiss chard
Swiss chard is a leafy vegetable that’s high in potassium and magnesium, both of which help to regulate blood pressure. Cooked chard provides 17 percent and 30% of your daily potassium and magnesium needs, respectively, in one cup (145 grams).
A 0.6-gram increase in dietary potassium per day is related to a 1.0 mm Hg reduction in SBP and a 0.52 mm Hg drop in DBP in adults with high blood pressure. Swiss chard has 792 mg of this vital nutrient per cup (145 grams).
Magnesium is also needed to keep blood pressure in check. It lowers blood pressure in a variety of ways, including functioning as a natural calcium channel blocker, which prevents calcium from entering the heart and arterial cells and allows blood vessels to relax.
3. Carrots
Carrots are a popular vegetable because they are crunchy, sweet, and nutritious. Carrots are abundant in phenolic substances such as chlorogenic, p-coumaric, and caffeic acids, which relax blood vessels and reduce inflammation, perhaps lowering blood pressure.
Carrots can be eaten raw or cooked, however, raw carrots may be better for lowering blood pressure. Raw carrot consumption was strongly connected with reduced blood pressure readings, according to a study including 2,195 participants aged 40–59.
A smaller trial of 17 persons found that drinking 16 ounces (473 mL) of fresh carrot juice every day for three months reduced SBP but not DBP.
4. Berries
Berries have been linked to a number of impressive health advantages, including the possibility of lowering heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure. Antioxidants abound in berries, especially anthocyanins, the chemicals that give berries their brilliant color.
Anthocyanins have been demonstrated to raise blood nitric oxide levels and decrease the formation of blood-vessel-restricting molecules, which may help lower blood pressure. The more human study is needed, however, to corroborate these proposed pathways.
Blueberries, raspberries, chokeberries, cloudberries, and strawberries are just a few berries that have been linked to reducing blood pressure.
5. Broccoli
Broccoli has a number of health benefits, including improving the health of your circulatory system. Including this cruciferous vegetable in your diet, for example, could help you lower your blood pressure.
Broccoli is high in flavonoid antioxidants, which can help decrease blood pressure by improving blood vessel function and raising nitric oxide levels.
According to a study including 187,453 adults, those who ate four or more servings of broccoli per week had a decreased risk of high blood pressure than those who ate broccoli once a month.
6. Fruits containing citrus
Citrus fruits such as grapefruit, oranges, and lemons have been shown to reduce blood pressure. They’re abundant in vitamins, minerals, and plant chemicals that could help keep your heart healthy by lowering risk factors for heart disease including high blood pressure.
The citric acid and flavonoid content of lemons were found to be strongly linked with lower SBP in a 5-month study including 101 Japanese women. Orange and grapefruit juice have also been demonstrated to lower blood pressure in studies. However, grapefruit and grapefruit juice can interact with some blood pressure drugs, so talk to your doctor before including them in your diet.
7. Chia and flax seeds
Chia and flax seeds are small seeds rich in minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and fiber, all of which are important for healthy blood pressure regulation.
A short 12-week trial of 26 adults with high blood pressure found that taking 35 grams of chia seed flour per day reduced blood pressure in both medicated and non-medicated people when compared to a placebo group.
Furthermore, a review of 11 research found that eating flax seeds, especially in their whole seed form for 12 weeks or longer, may help lower blood pressure levels.
8. Celery
Celery is a common vegetable that has been shown to help lower blood pressure. It contains phthalides, which may aid in the relaxation of blood vessels and the reduction of blood pressure.
In the same research that linked raw carrot consumption to lower blood pressure, cooked celery consumption was found to be strongly linked to lower blood pressure among commonly consumed cooked vegetables.
9. Seafood that is high in fat
Omega-3 fats found in fatty fish have been shown to offer considerable heart health advantages. These fats may help lower blood pressure by reducing inflammation and decreasing levels of oxylipins, which constrict blood vessels.
Higher diets of omega-3-rich fatty fish have been associated with lower blood pressure readings in studies.
Those with the greatest blood levels of omega-3 fats had considerably lower SBP and DBP than those with the lowest blood levels of these fats, according to a study of 2,036 healthy persons. A lower incidence of hypertension has also been linked to a higher omega-3 intake.
10. Pumpkin
Pumpkin seeds are modest in size, but they carry a nutritional punch. They’re a rich amount of nutrients that help control blood pressure, such as potassium, magnesium, and arginine, an amino acid required for the creation of nitric oxide, which helps blood vessels relax and lower blood pressure.
The pumpkin seed oil has also been demonstrated to be an effective natural treatment for hypertension. When compared to a placebo group, supplementing with 3 grams of pumpkin seed oil per day for 6 weeks resulted in significant reductions in SBP in 23 women.
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Conclusion
Adopting a nutritious diet, when combined with other lifestyle changes, can help lower blood pressure and lessen your risk of heart disease.
Adding leafy greens, berries, beans, lentils, seeds, fatty fish, citrus fruits, and carrots to your meals and snacks, according to a study, may help you achieve and maintain ideal blood pressure levels.
Adding a couple of the foods recommended in this article to your diet may assist if you have high blood pressure or want to maintain a healthy blood pressure level.
