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Beside restricting sodium salt (NACL), foods those
lower BP:
1.Foods with high nitrite contents: Nitrite content food beet which lower blood pressure within just a few hours (Queen Mary University of London study published in
2011 in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension. Other nitrite rich foods include water melon, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, and carrots."Watermelon is the richest edible natural source of L-citrulline, which is closely related to L-arginine,
the amino acid required for the formation of nitric oxide essential to the regulation of vascular tone and healthy blood pressure,"
Figueroa said. "Once in the body, the L-citrulline is converted into L-arginine.
Simply consuming L-arginine as a dietary supplement isn't an option for many hypertensive adults, said Figueroa, because it
can cause nausea, gastrointestinal tract discomfort, and diarrhea." Arturo Figueroa, Marcos A. Sanchez-Gonzalez, Penelope
M. Perkins-Veazie andBahram H. Arjmandi. Effects of Watermelon Supplementation on Aortic Blood Pressure and Wave Reflection in Individuals With
Prehypertension: A Pilot Study. American Journal of Hypertension 24, 40-44 (January
2011).http://www.nature.com/ajh/journal/v24/n1/full/ajh2010142a.htmlhttp://www.fsu.com/News-Archive/2010/October/Florida-State-study-finds-watermelon-lowers-blood-pressure 4. http://www.freshestherbal.com/heart-health/niteworks-powder-mix.html?gclid=CMmE_aPjla0CFcNo4AoddQEDmA 2.
Dark chocolate (contains > than 70% dark chocolate and preferably sugarless). It has high flavonoids, which
dilates blood vessels leading to fall of BP.
3. Blueberries, raspberries and strawberries These contain anthocyanins that protect against hypertension (British and
American study of about 157,000 men and women published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition). Other factors in berries to
help lower blood pressure, are fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and other plant compounds. One cup of raspberries (60 calories) delivers more than 33 % of the daily value of
fiber. A cup of strawberries provides 136 % of the daily requirement for vitamin C. Blueberries contain pterostilbene that
helps prevent plaque buildup in the arteries. Berries are anti-inflammatory. At least one serving (one cup) of berries (fresh or frozen) daily is recommended. 4. Cereals- oatmeal, oat squares, bran
flakes or shredded wheat: These whole-grain and high-fiber cereals can reduce chance of developing high blood
pressure (Harvard University study). The more servings of cereal one eats a week, the greater the benefits. In addition,
adding blueberries to cereals, one could double health benefits.A
12-week long study comparing whole-grain oat-based cereals to refined wheat-based cereals was done.
73 % oats group participants were able to cut out their BP medications, or reduced
by half. The rest also significantly reduced their blood pressure. The fiber and magnesium contents in oats lower blood pressure, slow atherosclerosis,
and the plaque buildup in blood vessels. One
serving (about three-fourths of a cup) of whole-grain oats per day, or at least six servings per week are recommended.
5. Potassium in baked potato: Baked potato is high in potassium and magnesium, eating of it can help fight
high blood pressure and could bring down BP by more than 10 percent. Other foods high in both these minerals: halibut, spinach,
bananas, soybeans, kidney beans and plain nonfat yogurt. 6. Low-fat
dairy productsA 2008 study of nearly 30,000 women with an average age of 54,
who ate the most yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese, frozen yogurt, skim or low-fat milk were less likely to develop high
blood pressure by 11%. Low-fat dairy In
a Dutch study of hypertension in adults 55 and older, it is noted that low-fat dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt
may help prevent hypertension.
The
fat (vitamin D) in low-fat dairy is important because it increases the calcium absorption from intestine. Milk and dairy products
also contain magnesium and potassium which also help to lower BP. In a 2006 study (Harvard Medical School), it was noted that people who ate more
than three servings per day, systolic blood pressure reduced by 2.6 points less than those who ate less than half a serving
per day. However, one need to consider the harmful effects of
eating dairy products for such little (2.6 points) benefit.
7. Celery- 4 stalks/day Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) includes celery or celery root to
treat high blood pressure (animals as well as humans) for more than a century. Celery contains phytochemicals known as phthalides. Phthalides relax and the arterial walls
muscle enabling increased blood flow, leading to lowered blood pressure.
8. Cold-water fish: Wild (not farmed) salmon, tuna,
mackerel, cod, trout,
halibut, herring, and sardines. Cold-water fish are rich in omega-3
fatty acids (anti-inflammatory), and blood thinner (anticoagulant).
As
blood is thin, there is less resistance exerted to the arterial wall and makes it easier for blood to flow in the circulation
leading to lowered BP.
Two six-ounce servings per week
for most people are recommended.
Persons
with bleeding disorder, or on blood-thinners, can develop bleeding complications.
9. Foods high in vitamin C: Broccoli It
is a powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and blood pressure lowering agent.
It's fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin C contents help to lower blood
pressure.
Role
of vitamin C :
It
protects arterial wall nitric oxide molecules formation. Nitric oxdie helps to relax and dilate blood vessels resulting
better blood flow, thus normalize blood pressure. At least one serving broccoli a day is recommended
10. Dandelion:
It is a natural diuretic. Beside lowering blood pressure, it is also good for the
liver, eyes, and skin. Dandelion
reduce blood pressure by excreting excess sodium without the loss of potassium. Other diuretics also cause loss of potassium
and needs regular monitoring for hypokalemia (low potassium in blood)
Excess sodium raises blood pressure by constricting blood vessels and retaining fluid,
while potassium helps regulate and balance this situation.
Dandelion contains magnesium. Magnesium dissolves blood clots and stimulates the production
of nitric oxide, helping to relax and dilate blood vessels, thus maintain BP. The plant is edible, from leaves to roots
One can
eat organic fresh dandelion in salad, sauté dandelion roots in a stir-fry, or drink dried dandelion in a tea.
11. Black beans It contains high fiber-to-protein
ratio. This combination regulates blood sugar and lowers blood cholesterol levels thus prevents atherosclerosis formation
and thus helps to maintaining normal blood pressure. Beside fibers and proteins, black beans also contains magnesium and folate, which
lower blood pressure (especially systolic blood pressure) by relaxing blood vessels and improving blood flow.
Minimum
400 micrograms of folate/day is the recommended daily allowance (RDA).
800 micrograms daily has shown significantly reduced blood pressure in multiple large-scale
studies.
One
cup of cooked black beans equals to 256 micrograms of folate.
References:
1.
8 Foods That Lower Blood Pressure2. 6 Fabulous Foods to Fight High Blood Pressure The good news: They're some of your favoritesby: Candy
Sagon | from: AARP Bulletin | Updated February 2012
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