Nutrition is a big risk factor for high blood pressure. Incorporate these foods into your diet for better health.
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Hypertension, or high blood pressure, develops over time from different risk factors including genetics, age, stress, lack of exercise or high salt consumption. While it’s most common among older adults, young people are by no means immune to hypertension. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says one in four people aged 20 to 44 has high blood pressure, which puts you at higher risk of serious health conditions like a heart attack or stroke.
A high blood pressure reading is a systolic pressure (how much pressure your blood exerts against your artery walls when your heart beats) of 130 and higher or a diastolic pressure of 80 and higher. It’s important to remain informed on your blood pressure and seek treatment if you’re experiencing hypertension. Prescription medicines can help regulate it, but you can also naturally lower your blood pressure by living a healthy lifestyle and eating a more nutritious diet.
Here are seven types of food you should incorporate into your meals to help control high blood pressure.
For more ways your diet can help improve your health, here are seven foods to help with sleep and 13 foods for healthy kidneys.
Here are our favorite best foods for keeping your blood pressure in check.
Leafy greens and red beets contain significant nitrate levels, which are converted to nitric oxide. Nitric oxide dilates the blood vessels and improves circulation, easing high blood pressure. One study found that a high vegetable nitrate intake was linked to lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Leafy greens high in nitrate include:
Carrots, celery and broccoli are also helpful in regulating heart health and controlling high blood pressure. Carrots and celery help reduce inflammation and calm blood vessels, while broccoli is full of antioxidants that raise your body’s nitric oxide levels.
A bowl of yogurt is a good breakfast or snack for people with high blood pressure.
Dairy products like yogurt have proven to help lower blood pressure, presumably because of their high levels of nutrients such as calcium and potassium — a study involving 150,000 participants associated dairy with a lower risk of diabetes and blood pressure.
Lean beef, pork, chicken and fatty fish are good proteins to help promote healthy blood pressure. Fatty fish like salmon are loaded with omega-3 fats, and high levels of this healthy fat are associated with lower SBP and DBP. Healthy fats can reduce inflammation in the body that damages blood vessels, helping prevent high blood pressure.
For those with a sweet tooth, the cocoa inside dark chocolate contains flavonoids that increase nitric oxide levels and help lower blood pressure.
Cook with extra-virgin olive oil, the least processed oil and one of the best for anti-hypertension. It has an antioxidant polyphenol and a fatty acid that help maintain a healthy heart.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
