A person with high blood pressure needs to take immediate action to begin lowering it because high blood pressure could lead to severe health conditions while also not providing any alarming signs or symptoms.
Uncontrolled high blood pressure has been described as “the silent killer” and if untreated, a person could die or develop a variety of conditions such as angina, vision loss, kidney damage, coronary and heart damage, peripheral artery disease, fluid in the lungs, erectile dysfunction or stroke [1].
Normal blood pressure for any person should be lower than 120 for systolic blood pressure which is the pressure generated by the heart as it goes into a contraction mode and lower than 80 for diastolic blood pressure which is the pressure that is present as the heart relaxes after contracting.
Blood pressure that is not normal may develop or occur for different reasons including aging, dehydration or specific conditions such as sickness, disease, pregnancy or the use of certain medications. High blood pressure needs to be given immediate attention and lowered. There are different ways that this could happen including the use of foods which are naturally able to lower blood pressure.
There are delicious foods which can lower blood pressure. Hence, there is no need to dread the process of lowering blood pressure with food. Foods that can help lower blood pressure do not need to be bland or lack excitement! These foods can be delicious and easy enough to include in your diet on a regular basis.
Eight examples of delicious foods for lowering blood pressure are discussed below:
1. Cinnamon
This spice has been linked to lower blood pressure and other health benefits [2]. There are studies that have provided results describing the positive effect of cinnamon when added to a person’s diet. Despite the more popular usage of cinnamon in pastries, cakes, desserts and other dishes, there are other way to cleverly add this spice to your meals such as by sprinkling small amounts onto cereal, oatmeal or other types of breakfast meals or porridge.
You could also add a bit of cinnamon spice to hot or cold beverages for an added kick of taste while also helping to keep your blood pressure in check. Experimenting with cinnamon spice in other dishes may also be feasible. However, you do not want to go overboard with this spice as it can be quite easy to overpower a dish with it.
2. Spinach
The popular saying regarding spinach making a person “big and strong” has been repeated in many circles through the decades. Indeed, spinach does have nutritional benefits such as iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron and fibre.
This vegetable also packs a powerful punch in terms of also lowering blood pressure. Another advantage of spinach is its low sodium content. Sodium has adverse effects on blood pressure levels. Thus, foods such as spinach and other vegetables that naturally contain lower levels of sodium present a favourable situation for the body in terms of blood pressure.
Sticking to a healthy serving of spinach and other green, leafy vegetables help you build a path towards healthy eating while also lowering your blood pressure.
You could use herbs and salad dressing to add some taste to spinach. However, keep the sodium and fat content of any salad dressings to a minimum or avoid these additions entirely. Spinach also has potassium and this can help lower blood pressure as well.
3. Bananas
Another potassium-rich food is bananas. The presence of potassium in foods is great news for those who have high blood pressure and apart from spinach, other foods that are rich in potassium include raisins, dates, fat-free yogurt, peas, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, lima beans, prunes, grapefruit, oranges, cantaloupe, tuna, halibut and tomatoes [3].
In addition, bananas also have low sodium content which helps to keep blood pressure at balanced levels by maintaining a normal heart rate and also enabling proper functioning of the heart muscles. While people may use different types of medications to regulate their blood pressure, eating bananas helps to lower blood pressure while also providing a healthy portion of potassium, which may be lacking in prescribed medications.
4. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Foods that are high in omega-3 acids such as flaxseed contribute to lowering blood pressure levels. You can include flaxseed in meals such as cereals or sprinkle it on yogurt or in soups.
For people with hypertension, omega-3 fatty acids have been suggested to lower blood pressure and the use of fish oil supplements could reduce blood pressure levels [4]. Hence, seek out foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids and watch for a positive impact on your blood pressure levels.
5. Lima Beans
Green beans such as lima beans are a healthy food option. These types of foods are also usually high in protein, high in potassium and provide a significant source of fibre as well.
The lima beans fibre is also described as cholesterol lowering fibre and there are other health benefits that this food provides [5]. In addition, lima beans could to lower a person’s blood pressure as a result of its potassium content. The options for including lima beans in your diet could be as simple as adding this beans to salads, soups or as a side dish to other main meals.
6. Oatmeal
If you are looking for a filling or satisfying meal, consider having some oatmeal. You could have oatmeal in the form of hot porridge. You could also include oatmeal as a main ingredient in other foods such as muffins, bread, cakes, cookies, pancakes and much more.
Oatmeal is a high-fibre content food and it has also been connected to reduced blood pressure levels as a result of the impact this fibre has on the body. It is versatile in its use and application as a side addition to other foods or as a light topping on yogurt and fruit.
7. Yogurt
Another snack that people commonly take is yogurt. There are different varieties of yogurt and a person is usually able to find a variety or brand of yogurt that suits their taste and preferences.
Yogurt is a delicious food that can help lower blood pressure because it contains very minimal levels of sodium. There are many ways to consume yogurt or combine this food with other foods including using yogurt as a dip or as part of a smoothie. Caution should be used though, when selecting yogurt, as there are some varieties of yogurt that healthier than others such as yogurt versions that contain less fat and less sugar. Yogurt is also rich in calcium which is another way to keep blood pressure levels in check.
8. Salt-free Seasoning
Although salt or sodium may make foods seemingly taste better or seem more palatable, diets that are high in salt are bad for blood pressure. Unfortunately, many palettes have become accustomed to tasting salt-rich foods and snacks, to the extent that people have developed a salt craving over time.
As more salt is used to prepare dishes at home and in restaurants, people begin to expect foods to have certain levels of salt content. This is all quite bad for the body as sodium in the body can cause bloating and increased blood pressure. One way that people add more salt to their meals is through the use of salt-filled or salt-based seasonings.
People may not realize that the herbs and spices they use already contain salt. Hence, adding salt and seasonings to meals can almost double the intended amount of salt.
Thus, it is essential that you are more aware of what seasonings or spices you use actually contain. It is beneficial to stick with pure, salt-free seasoning or spice blends that only contain the actual herb or spice being used such as thyme, pepper, rosemary, oregano, parsley and other types of delicious herbs and seasoning which can add satisfying flavours to your meals.
With these 8 delicious foods, you can be well on your way to lowering blood pressure and keeping it within normal ranges. These foods are typically readily accessible and if you have not been consuming these foods on a regular basis, you could use creative ways to in begin to gradually introduce these foods to your diet. However, knowledge about these foods is the way to start.
For instance, thinking about potassium-rich foods and including these items to your grocery list is a good way to proactively reduce your blood pressure. It can be easy to make a change in your diet to include more of these delicious foods. As an example, you could add bananas to your diet by using this food as a healthy snack, or by adding slices of bananas or slices of some of the mentioned potassium-rich foods to your daily meal plans.
If you are looking for a step-by-step program that will help lower your blood press, then check this out.
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