Do you want to prevent hypertension (high blood pressure)? Are you looking to manage your hypertension conservatively with fewer or no medications? Do you want to know what foods lower blood pressure? Then, you should read the following article and share it with your friends and family members.
A healthy diet is essential regardless of an individual’s heart health. Many studies, including Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), provide evidence that healthy diet benefits the heart.
A healthy diet can improve blood pressure, cholesterol, and other health problems. Prevention of high blood pressure can prevent conditions such as heart, vascular, kidney disease, and stroke.
Below you’ll find evidence-based tips that could help reduce your blood pressure.
Dietary Restrictions
1) Low sodium intake:
Processed and fast foods are high in sodium. DASH Collaborative Research Group found that lowering sodium intake reduces blood pressure.
The average man eats 4,100 mg of sodium per day and women 2,650 mg, 75% of which comes from processed food.
Do you know your daily sodium intake?
2) Alcohol:
Alcohol intake should be limited to no more than two drinks per day for most men and no more than one drink per day for women and lighter-weight persons.
A single drink is equivalent to 12 oz of beer, 5 oz of wine, or 1.5 oz of 80-proof liquor.
Moderate alcohol consumption can reduce blood pressure.
3) Caffeine:
Caffeine may result in high blood pressure; however, this effect is usually temporary. Moderate coffee intake is less than two cups per day.
Moderate intake of caffeine per day does not significantly increase blood pressure.
What foods lower blood pressure
1) Potassium supplements:
Low potassium intake is associated with high blood pressure. This finding is more pronounced in black people and patients who are not on a sodium-restricted diet.
An average of 4.7g of potassium a day could be beneficial to patients with high blood pressure.
This treatment should be supervised by a physician to prevent serious health-related complications in patients who are predisposed to kidney failure.
Recommended Daily Potassium Intake
It has been suggested that an intake of up to 120 mEq (4.7 g) of potassium daily could be beneficial to patients with high blood pressure.
Potassium-rich foods
Many fruit and vegetables have high potassium levels, such as white beans, avocados, white mushrooms, and bananas.
Top 10 High Potassium and Healthy Food Choices
| Description |
Weight (g) |
Common Measure |
Potassium
(mg)
|
| Raisins, seedless |
145 |
1 cup |
1086
|
| Potato, baked, flesh and skin, without salt |
202 |
1 potato |
1081 |
| Grapefruit juice, white, frozen concentrate, unsweetened, undiluted |
207 |
6-fl-oz can |
1002
|
| Soybeans, green, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt |
180 |
1 cup |
970 |
| Squash, winter, all varieties, cooked, baked, without salt |
205 |
1 cup |
896 |
| Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt |
180 |
1 cup |
839 |
| Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, without salt |
146 |
1 potato |
694 |
| Artichokes, (globe or french), cooked, boiled, drained, without salt |
168 |
1 cup |
595 |
| Yogurt, plain, skim milk, 13 grams protein per 8 ounce |
227 |
8-oz container |
579 |
| Orange juice, frozen concentrate, unsweetened, undiluted |
213 |
6-fl-oz can |
436 |
2) Fiber:
Multiple studies have shown that a high fiber intake could reduce systemic blood pressure. A particular study showed that the effects of fiber supplements were more pronounced in patients over 40.
High fiber intake could also reduce blood cholesterol level.
Read this article to find out more about the benefits of fiber.
Recommended Daily Fiber Intake
A daily fiber intake of more than 25 g has been recommended for the maintenance of a healthy and functional body.
3) Fish Oil:
According to an analysis of fish oil, the consumption of high doses of fish oil with a median dose of 3.7 g per day provided a significant reduction in systemic blood pressure. Fish oil consumption can also reduce blood triglycerides.
Recommended Daily Fish Oil Intake
A median dose of 3.7 g per day provided a significant reduction in systemic blood pressure.
4) Folate:
A small study reported that short-term folic acid supplementation could reduce blood pressure significantly. It has been suggested that a daily intake of 5 mg of folic acid could be beneficial in reducing systolic blood pressure.
Recommended Daily Folic Acid Intake
A daily intake of 5 mg of folic acid could be beneficial in reducing systolic blood pressure.
Vegetables and fruits should be eaten raw as heat can destroy folic acid.
Healthy Foods with a High Volume of Folic Acid
|
Legumes |
Starches |
Fruit and Vegetables |
|
dried beans |
wholegrain breads |
spinach |
|
lentils |
wheat flour |
peaches |
|
spilt peas |
potato |
brussel sprouts |
|
soya products |
sweet potato |
broccoli |
|
almonds |
cabbage |
|
|
nuts |
asparagus |
|
|
banana |
||
|
oranges |
5) Flavonoids:
A Cochrane meta-analysis looking at multiple randomized controlled trials reported that flavanol-rich chocolate and cocoa products may have a small but significant effect in lowering blood pressure by 2–3 mm/Hg in the short term. Dietary sources of flavonoids include tea, red wine, fruits, vegetables, and legumes.
Recommended Daily Flavonoids Intake
Varies between 500 to 1000 mg/d based on studies.
6) Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10):
Some studies suggest that CoQ10 may have the potential to reduce systolic blood pressure by up to 17 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by up to 10 mm Hg without any significant side effects. The average dosage used in these studies were around 217 mg/day.
Recommended Daily Coenzyme Q10 Intake
An average dosage of 217 mg/day of CoQ10 has been shown to reduce blood pressure.
References (download)
