Health is Wealth is a common proverb we have listened from most of our elders but nobody understands the actual meaning of this sentence until caught by some illness. May God protect us all from anything bad to happen but after God it is our own duty to protect ourselves from the things which can cause damage to our health. People now are more conscious about their health. They wish to know the natural ways to improve their health to avoid doctors and their heavy fees.
High Blood Pressure (hypertension) is one of such health disorders in which the force of the blood against your artery walls is high enough that it may eventually cause health problems, such as heart disease. According to a research study statistics, by World Health federation, there are at least 970 million people worldwide who have high blood pressure (hypertension). Which are considerably large numbers and the worst part about this situation is that you can have high blood pressure (hypertension) for years without any symptoms. That is why this disease is known as the silent killer. Even with symptoms identified, the damage cause by High Blood Pressure (hypertension) is severe.
Prevention is better than cure and healthy diet is off course the key and one of the most powerful ways to lower blood pressure. Nature has its part in providing us with some superfoods to lower High Blood Pressure. To identify those superfoods and consume them in better ways is the need of hour. We have tried to gather a list of such superfoods which can help us lower High Blood Pressure, Let’s have a look.
20. Spinach
According to a study conducted by WHfoods, spinach comes out at the top of ranking list for its nutrient richness, among the World’s Healthiest vegetables. This leafy green vegetable provides more nutrients than any other food and hence is the best food which can lower the high blood pressure.
Spinach is rich of vitamin K, vitamin A, magnesium, iron, copper, vitamin B2, vitamin B6 (folate), vitamin E, calcium, potassium, and vitamin C. Apart from all these, it also provides a balanced protein (11%) with antioxidants that help lower blood pressure.
Add fresh spinach to any lunch salad or use cooked spinach in your lunch. Add spinach leaves to sandwiches instead of lettuce. Add some spinach leaves with other fresh veggies to pasta dishes for a healthy dinner appetizer and forget about high blood pressure.
19. Whole Grain
A whole grain intact, without undergoing any refining process, is a rich source of nutrients. Whole grains include whole-grain corn, oats, popcorn, brown rice, and buckwheat. Studies show that out of many health benefits, decrease in high blood pressure is one of the key benefits of consuming whole grains in diet. Whole grains include high level of potassium and magnesium which are linked to lower blood pressure.
In an article published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a Scottish scientist revealed the effects of diet high with whole grains. He concluded a decrease of 4% in high blood pressure among the study participants after serving them whole grains daily. Using whole grain foods reduces high blood pressure by helping you in weight control. Using whole grain foods increases the consumption of potassium in your daily routine and reduces damage to blood vessels. All these advantages of using whole grains lead to lower the high blood pressure.
18. Salmon
Sea food is always considered as an excellent protein diet for human health with a rich collection of minerals and nutrients. Salmon is among one of the most valuable cold-water fish, a human can consume as food. It is rich in omega 3 fatty acids which are considered as beneficial fat for heart-health. Salmon also contains EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) which reduces infection and cause reduction of blood pressure.
This superfood can help lower your blood pressure, in very little time. To maintain all of the health benefits of Salmon do not fry the salmon. Frying changes the structure of the proteins and reduces the nutritional value of the food. You must consume at least 4 ounces of baked or broiled salmon in daily routine in shape of salads. If you do not like eating fish, you can take fish oil supplements.
17. Garlic
Some of you will be surprised to see Garlic in this list, as this is not something you hear of as a superfood especially to lower high blood pressure. In 2010, a study conducted in Australia found that garlic is a powerful food-based medicine, containing some antiviral properties, that naturally lowers cholesterol levels and reduces blood pressure. The gas that garlic produces in the stomach, after consuming it, lowers blood pressure.
Eating one garlic clove a day can significantly reduce your blood pressure in very little period of time. Every one of us must add right amount of garlic in our routine diet because of its waste health benefits. To consume it in daily routine, you can also use garlic powder in preparing recipes or take garlic tablets or capsule supplements.
16. Tomato
The interesting part to use tomato is that it can be consumed as fruit and as vegetable also. Most of you have used tomatoes to add in salads and different soups. Tomato as a whole has unique properties and different type of antioxidants that helps protect your cells. This unique antioxidant is known as lycopene. The lycopene and other nutrients such as potassium found in tomatoes help in lowering high blood pressure and risk of heart disease.
According to a study published in American Heart Journal, the consumption of 250mg of tomato for eight weeks can significantly lower high blood pressure.
You can add tomato in salads or you can prepare tomato ketchup to serve with different food items. You can have peach-tomato salsa or tomato cocktail in summers to refresh yourself.
15. Potato
Potatoes are a family favorite vegetable because the human of all ages like to have potato in their daily routine. But in recent years, people start avoiding this vegetable for fear of being fat but none has explored its nutritious value. Potatoes are rich in potassium and also contain a blood pressure-lowering compound called kukoamines. They also contain different minerals and vitamins such as vitamins C, B6, B1 and B3, magnesium, iron, zinc and phosphorus.
All these minerals and vitamins are a must have for your overall health. All you have to do is consume potatoes in proper context to avoid being fat. Baked or boiled potatoes can help lower your blood pressure. You can prepare potato salad, potato wedges and mix it with ginger and carrot to make a special soup.
14. Almond
Almonds are key ingredients to fight against high blood pressure. Almonds are full of potassium (208 milligrams of potassium in one ounce almonds) and the American heart association observes that this amount of potassium reduces the effect of sodium on blood pressure patients. It also contains protein and healthy fat that helps to lower the cholesterol level and also reduces the high blood pressure. Almonds help a person to fight against cardiac diseases and diabetes as well.
Add just 1 ounce of almonds to your daily diet to stay healthy and enjoy the colors of life.
13. Olive Oil
Olive oil is special delivery of oil right from the gardens of olives with a different taste and rich nutrients. It contains an antioxidant to fight against the free radicals, known as polyphenols. Polyphenols helps lower the high blood pressure by preventing the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. This LDL cholesterol is labeled as “bad” because too much oxidation of LDL in blood vessels can increase blood pressure. Apart from polyphenols, olive oil also contains different fatty acids which help lower high blood pressure.
The best way to use it, to have more advantages from it, is without heating. Olive oil can be used in in different salad dressings or you can stir it with different boiled vegetables.
12. Celery
Celery is an important food source of antioxidant nutrients. It can be consumed as vegetable or its seeds can be used in different medicines. Because of its anti- inflammatory properties for digestion it is gaining more popularity as a superfood to lower blood pressure. Celery also contains a special compound called 3-n-butyl phthalate which relaxes the muscles of the blood vessels and reduces the blood pressure. Celery can be used in food preparations as herb. It can also be consumed raw in salads and soups.
11. Dark Chocolate
Does anyone of you remember that time when chocolates were considered as harmful to health?
Research in modern science came up with a study which shows that dark chocolate improves heart health, lower blood pressure, reduce LDL cholesterol, decrease the risk of blood clots, and increase blood flow to the brain. This is wonderful news for all chocolate lovers out there.
Let us talk about different properties of dark chocolates. They are very high in antioxidants and vital nutrients which helps eliminate free radicals in the body and improve the heart health. These also contain cacao which helps to dilate the blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. While consuming chocolates, select chocolates with less in sugar and consume less quantity just one ½ ounce on average. This small amount is enough to lower high blood pressure to its normal level without causing extra fat in your body.
10. Avocado
Avocado is another fruit after banana with high value in lowering the high blood pressure. People label avocado as a high fat food but this is not true avocado instead has a lot of heart healthy fat that we all should be consuming for balance in our diets. Avocado is high in antioxidants and other nutrients such as vitamin B6, folate and potassium which are best for the patients of high blood pressure. Different studies published in NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) shows that the consumption of Avocado can reduce blood triglycerides and risk of heart diseases by up to 20%.
Now all you have to do is add fresh avocado slices to salads, sandwiches and wraps or make an Indonesian-style avocado milkshake with chocolate syrup to stay healthy.
Quick link = Benefits of Avocado
9. Watermelon
Clearly, watermelon is you best companion in food if you are suffering from high blood pressure. Like tomato, watermelon also contains the lycopene as a nutritious ingredient. And this lycopene is very useful for cardiac health because of its anti- inflammatory and antioxidant health benefits. Watermelon with the help of citrulline present in it, smooth muscles around the arteries and make sure the flow of blood is smooth. Hence watermelon helps lowering high blood pressure.
You can consume watermelon pieces in breakfast or can add it to fruit salads. Watermelon juice is also very beneficial for health.
8. Beans
Beans (of different types), due to their rich nutrient profile, have great potential for reducing blood pressure and risk of heart diseases. Beans are rich source of potassium, protein and other nutrients that are important for blood regulation. Beans are very high in fiber; they also help lower LDL cholesterol. They also contain magnesium and potassium that are excellent for lowering the blood pressure. A study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition concluded that people who eat one and a half servings of beans a day lower blood pressure up to the sustainable level.
You can add them to various preparations like salads, soups and wraps. They contain vitamins, minerals and fiber which help to lower cholesterol, and blood.
7. Broccoli
Broccoli is a little nutrition powerhouse which supplies a lot of nutrient value to a human. It is a package of fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin C. All these nutrients help lower blood pressure. Broccoli contains glucoraphanin which is a natural compound found in broccoli and helps reduce risk of high blood pressure, cardiac disease and stroke.
Broccoli is often used boiled or steamed but can be consumed raw as well. You can also chop it and add it in your pizza, pasta and wraps. If you have a juicer, you can make a green and healthy juice to consume a well portion of broccoli.
6. Blueberries
Blueberries are sweet, juicy and delicious fruit with different color and taste. This small fruit, despite its size, has rich nutrients to prevent hypertension (High blood pressure). Biological compounds found in blueberries like anthocyanin and flavonoids helps lowering high blood pressure and. You can consume raw blueberries or can use them in fruit salad. Blueberry powder is also available for elders to consume it. Consume a sufficient amount of blueberries and you will feel a significant blood pressure control.
5. Sunflower
Sunflower is not just decoration flowers but a class of their own when it comes to treatment of blood pressure. Sunflower is a protein rich flower containing all its essence in its seeds. A recent research about the diet of a normal human shows that a diet containing fiber and protein, found in sunflower seeds, helps keep blood pressure low. Sunflower seeds are also a good source of magnesium and high source of vitamin E which makes these a unique food. Vitamin E actually works hard to fight free radical damage within the body and thus lower high blood pressure. You can use sunflower oil in your daily cooking for fruitful results and tension free heart.
4. Banana
Banana is considered as favorite food of monkeys but in this way many of us undervalue this fruit and its nutritional value. Banana is an excellent source of potassium that is why bananas can significantly impact blood pressure levels. When potassium levels in the body reaches below certain levels, the blood pressure rises because the body has to hung onto sodium in that state.
On the other hand, when potassium levels are high, the body releases sodium, and lower blood pressure along with it. Banana are high in potassium but are also low in sodium (just 1mg) so eating bananas is a quick and easy way to keep a proper balance of potassium and sodium. This balance is important for people with high blood pressure to avoid.
Add sliced bananas to oatmeal for a healthy breakfast. You can have banana shake during the day or you can add frozen bananas to a fresh fruit and fat-free yogurt smoothie to lower High Blood Pressure and stay healthy.
3. Apple
Every one of you has heard this phrase “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away”. Following this phrase apple is considered as a miracle fruit having so many health benefits including lower the high blood pressure and risk of heart diseases. The peel of an apple prevents the cholesterol from sticking on your artery walls and stabilizes the blood flow to the heart.
On October 2013, Medical News published a study of NCBI involving 9,208 men and women about the consumption of apple in their daily routines. This study showed that those who ate the most apples over a 28-year period had the lowest risk for heart attack. If you are also health conscious or suffering from high blood pressure, try to consume an apple daily. You can eat an apple raw or you can prepare an apple pie. For more flavors you can bake an apple with cinnamon, apple juice or apple salad is also an option for you but avoid apple seeds.
2. Dairy Products
Individuals diagnosed with High blood pressure are advised to avoid dairy products as they are considered as high in fat. People consider dairy products as common cause of high cholesterol which is linked with many cardio diseases including high blood pressure and heart attacks. But all these myths are not true. In fact, numerous studies show that dairy products, low fat milk and yoghurt in particular, can lower blood pressure. Low fat milk has many nutrients like potassium, magnesium and calcium-all of which are said to be good for lowering blood pressure.
Similar findings were observed in 2012 with a study published by NCBI. The study design was systematic review and meta-analysis done on 45,000 men and women to see the effects of dairy products with high blood pressure. The study surprisingly concluded:
- The consumption of total dairy foods (low and high fat) was associated with a 13% risk reduction of high blood pressure.
- It reduces the fat or cholesterol which blocks the arteries and causes the blood pressure.
You can easily add in low-fat dairy into your daily meals. For breakfasts, pour whole grain cereals to milk. For a healthy snack, add some fresh fruit to a cup of yogurt. You can also use milk to make smoothies or different milk shakes with fruit.
1. Cardamom
Cardamom is an herb whose seeds are used to make medicines. It is also used as spice (world’s third most expensive spice) in food and is a common ingredient in Indian cooking. As a fibre rich spice with high containment of potassium and less sodium, cardamom is very effective in significantly lowering blood pressure. This spice can be consumed by adding it in different desserts and tea.
While consuming some of these foods try to remember some Do’s and Don’ts in High blood pressure to avoid any kind of harsh circumstances. We have listed some Do’s of Don’ts that will help you understand the best and worst practices for high blood pressure patients.
Do’s:
Exercise is a must.
Try to incorporate more spinach and leafy vegetables to your diet.
Monitor your blood pressure regularly.
Don’ts:
Avoid salt in cooking.
Stop smoking.
If your kidneys are not proper functioning, try not to consume too much potassium in your diet.
Avoid consuming apple seeds.
Just by following few of these tips and techniques you can enhance your smile and make your oral hygiene better. Always keep in mind a good and sparkling smile is always complimented.
