High blood pressure is a significant medical issue and one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Most people try to get it under control with drugs. But it turns out that you can do it with diet too. Who would have thought?
In this post, we take a look at some of the specific foods that you can eat to lower blood pressure. Please remember that you’ll get best results when combined with a healthy diet and exercise plan.
Berries
If berries aren’t in your morning routine yet, they should be. These powerhouses of nutrition are packed with chemicals that help the blood vessels to dilate, allowing them to expand and contract like they did when you were younger. They’re also chock full of compounds that directly activate the body’s housekeeping mechanisms, encouraging cells to flush out all their toxins and start manufacturing proteins better than they did in the past.
Oats
Oats are another food you’ll want to add to your morning routine. They contain a type of fibre which is scientifically proven to improve blood pressure and overall cardiovascular health. It appears that oats react with certain bacteria in the gut to produce beneficial substances that encourage blood vessels to dilate. Over the course of a few months, eating oats alone can cause a substantial reduction in blood pressure. Combining them with berries can produce even more profound effects.
Beets
Beets are among the best-known foods for reducing blood pressure and improving overall health. Their incredible color makes them a real food superstar.
But how do they work. It turns out that beets assist the body with a chemical called nitric oxide which allows the blood vessels to dilate. When you make a beet juice recipe, all of the natural compounds from the plant make their way into the bloodstream, helping blood vessels to open up and become more elastic.
Watermelon
Watermelon is another incredible food for lowering blood pressure. In fact, it is so good that many lifestyle doctors rely on it as a major source of calories in their clinics. Watermelon is effective because it contains the amino acid citrulline. Like certain other types of amino acid, it helps to widen the arteries leading to the heart and essentially aids the flow of blood substantially. Mice, for instance, who drank watermelon juice had 50 percent less plaque in their arteries in one study, despite eating a high-fat diet.
Cabbage
Cabbage, like other leafy greens, is a wonderful food for lowering blood pressure. That’s because it’s rich in nitrates, a chemical that can cut high blood pressure levels for up to 24 hours following consumption.
Kimchi
Lastly, eating fermented foods like kimchi may also offer some heart health benefits. It turns out that the bacteria living in our guts play an important role in our overall health. Many species, for instance, have a modest effect on lowering blood pressure, especially when their levels remain elevated for eight weeks or more. Other foods that contain live cultures include tempeh, miso and kombucha.
