TBI Blogs: Suffering from High Blood Pressure? Here Are 5 Common Foods That Can Help Keep It in Control
If your blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on your blood vessels, heart, and other organs, such as the brain, kidneys, and eyes. Read on to find out about five foods you can include in your diet to help combat this common affliction.
If your blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on your blood vessels, heart, and other organs, such as the brain, kidneys, and eyes. Read on to find out about five foods you can include in your diet to help combat this common affliction.
High blood pressure is a common disease in which blood flows through blood vessels (arteries) at higher than normal pressures. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood. High blood pressure, sometimes called hypertension, happens when this force is too high. Health care workers check blood pressure readings the same way for children, teens, and adults.
Persistent high blood pressure can increase your risk of a number of serious and potentially life-threatening conditions, such as:
- Heart disease
- Heart attacks
- Strokes
- Heart failure
- Peripheral arterial disease
- Aortic aneurysms
- Kidney disease
- Vascular dementia
Here are the amazing top foods that can help lower high blood pressure.
Garlic
Garlic’s main use has primarily been for health and medicinal purposes. The active ingredient in garlic is allicin, a sulphur compound formed when a garlic clove is crushed, chopped, or chewed. Several human studies have shown that supplementing your diet with garlic significantly lowers elevated blood pressure. Considering that garlic also reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol by 10-15 %, adding more to your diet is an absolute necessity.
Flaxseed
Consuming flaxseed in a variety of foods has been linked to a reduction in both systolic blood pressure (when the heart contracts) and diastolic blood pressure (when the heart relaxes). This is due to four compounds present in flaxseed in high amounts: alpha linolenic acid, lignans, peptides, and fiber. These definitely make flaxseed an important top food to lower high blood pressure.
Green Tea
Green tea is loaded with lots of powerful compounds and antioxidants, in quantities comparatively higher than available with other foods. Green tea is so beneficial because of its polyphenols. One particular green tea polyphenol, known as catechin, has been shown to improve blood flow and blood pressure. Just as wider pipes will increase water flow, wider and more relaxed blood vessels increase blood flow, reducing pressure.
Bananas
Bananas are a great way to add potassium to your diet. Eating foods that are rich in this mineral is better than taking supplements. Bananas are cheap, available all throughout the year, and are loaded with potassium. Potassium helps to lower your blood pressure by two to three points, and helps lower the risk of stroke. It also helps the kidney filter more pressure-boosting sodium out of your bloodstream, and helps tiny blood vessels relax and make pressure in the artery walls function more efficiently.
Dark Chocolate
Chocolate’s mood-boosting effects are well-known. In addition, the flavonols in dark chocolate may protect against high blood pressure and stroke, in part by improving the elasticity of blood vessels. Consuming dark chocolate or cocoa products rich in flavonols has been linked with some reduction in systolic or diastolic blood pressure among people with hypertension or pre-hypertension. It is definitely an important food to lower high blood pressure.
People with normal blood pressure, moderately high blood pressure, and full-fledged hypertension can also substantially reduce their blood pressure by cutting salt intake .
Taruna has a vision to see people healthy and fit – not with medicines, but with naturally available things. Read more of her work on Healthlogus, and follow updates on Facebook and Twitter.
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