which foods lower blood pressure
foods that lower blood pressure quickly
How managing high blood pressure?
An unhealthy diet that's high in sodium, saturated fat, and sugar may increase your risk of high blood pressure. These nutrients contribute to hypertension in a variety of ways. For example, saturated fat increases cholesterol levels, including "bad" LDL cholesterol, that can block your arteries and slow blood flow.
While it's important to minimize these nutrients in your diet to decrease your risk of or manage your high blood pressure, it's also important to eat more foods that lower blood pressure.
Foods that lower blood pressure contain specific nutrients that are scientifically proven to reduce blood pressure. These nutrients include:
- beta-carotene (vitamin A)
- fiber
- lycopene
- omega-3 fatty acids
- quercetin
- vitamin c
- resveratrol
1 Apple
An apple a day really does keep the doctor away, particularly for those struggling with high blood pressure. In addition to the 4.5 grams of blood pressure-lowering fiber you'll get from each apple, you'll also enjoy a healthy helping of quercetin, which has been deemed an effective antihypertensive, according to the results .
2 Carrots
That bunny food is blood pressure medicine in disguise. Carrots pack a one-two punch of beta-carotene and vitamin C, getting your blood pressure into a healthy range before you know it.
3 Cherries
Sweeten up your meals and lower your blood pressure in one fell swoop by making cherries part of your diet today. Not only are cherries packed with fiber, quercetin, and vitamin C, a study published in the February 2015 edition of Clinical Nutrition has linked their resveratrol content to significant reductions in systolic blood pressure.
4 Spinach
Make like Popeye and make spinach a part of your blood pressure-lowering routine. As well as being an easy veggie to sneak into everything from smoothies to sauces, tempting even the pickiest palates, spinach is a triple threat when it comes to your blood pressure, thanks to its healthy helpings of fiber, beta-carotene, and vitamin C.
4 Sweet Potatoes
Indulge your carb cravings and lower your blood pressure at the same time by whipping up a batch of oven-baked sweet potato fries tonight. Sweet potatoes are a good source of hypertension-fighting fiber, vitamin C, and beta-carotene. How's that for a smart snack.
5 Flaxseed
Stirring some flax into your favorite smoothie or morning oatmeal could be the first step toward lowering your blood pressure. Flaxseed is a great source fiber, as well as omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids can reduce inflammation and improve the health of your heart and circulatory system. Research conducted at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences reveals that individuals who added omega-3s to their diets had significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure than their placebo-taking counterparts.
6 Bell Peppers
Bell peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C (even more than citrus fruits), which has been shown to improve cardiac function and lower blood pressure. Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reveals that loading up on vitamin C reduced blood pressure by 5 millimeters of mercury in patients with hypertension, making these versatile veggies a smart addition to any meal plan.
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