Foods That Lower Blood Pressure

Do you suffer from frequent high blood pressure problems? Well, we have the solution. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is the amount of force exerted against the walls of your arteries as the blood flows through them. A person suffering from hypertension indicates that the walls of the arteries are facing too much pressure repeatedly, which needs to be elevated for a diagnosis of confirmed hypertension. Stats say that approximately, 72 million people in the USA suffer from Hypertension or high blood pressure. In this article, we will make you learn, what exactly high blood pressure is, its causes and symptoms. We will also enlist some of the safe natural remedies and foods that lower blood pressure easily.

How to Measure Blood Pressure?

The pumping of the blood creates pressure when it flows through the arteries when the pressure increases due to vigorous pumping, this is termed as High Blood Pressure.

Blood Pressure is of two types:

Systolic Pressure – This happens when the heart contracts specifically with the maximum force, in the left ventricle.

Diastolic Pressure – This is the pressure build up between heartbeats when the heart is resting and dilating.

While measuring the BP of a patient both the types of pressures are taken into the record. These measured figures usually appear with the large number first, i.e. the Systolic pressure, followed by the smaller number i.e. the Diastolic Pressure. The figures are abbreviated using “mmHg”, which means the millimeter of mercury.

So, for an example, if you are informed that your BP is 120/80 mmHg, this means the systolic pressure is 120 mmHg and the Diastolic pressure is 80 mmHg. If a patient has a sustained blood pressure more than 140/90 mmHg, this is said to be High blood pressure or Hypertension.

The causes are usually divided into two categories:

Essential High Blood Pressure:

This is the primary stage with no causes defined yet.

Secondary High Blood Pressure:

This has a few underlying causes that include:

  • Kidney disease.
  • Medications
  • Allergic reactions.

Some Other Causes Include:

  • Age Factor.
  • Family history.
  • Temperature
  • Obesity
  • Gender Aspects.
  • Smoking
  • Alcohol
  • High sodium intake.
  • Fatty foods.
  • Mental Stress.
  • Diabetes
  • Psoriasis
  • Pregnancy
  • Physical Inactivity.

Symptoms of High Blood Pressure

No symptoms are faced until the BP reaches 180/110 mmHg and above. The symptoms typically include:

  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Dizziness
  • Blurred vision.
  • Nose bleeding.
  • Palpitations
  • Dyspnea i.e breathlessness

foods that lower blood pressure

Foods That Lower Blood Pressure Naturally

1.) White Beans to Lower Blood Pressure

White beans are one of the best foods that lower blood pressure. A cup of white beans has 13% of calcium, 24% of potassium and 30% of magnesium. These are the nutrients that you need regularly in your diet to maintain the BP levels and stay healthy.

  • You can prepare spreads and dips suing white beans.
  • It is a great soup ingredient for vegetarians.
  • You can use the spread for the crackers.
  • Avoid using salt while preparing the dish at home.
  • In the case of canned beans, chose low sodium no added salt beans.

2.) Pork Tenderloin to Lower Blood Pressure

3 ounces of Pork Tenderloin has 15% of potassium and 6% of magnesium. This meets up your daily nutritional requirements and helps to lower blood pressure easily while maintaining overall health. It provides all the essential benefits without the involvement of salt and saturated fats. It is one of the best foods that lower blood pressure at home easily.

  • Cook large tenderloins on a griller.
  • Sprinkle the seasoning without salt.
  • Use a white bean dip to savor your taste buds.

3.) Fat-Free Yogurt to Lower Blood Pressure

A cup of fat-free yogurt has 49% of calcium, 18% of potassium and 12% of magnesium. It is one of the best foods that lower blood pressure naturally. This is essential for your daily diet to lower blood pressure and maintain the overall health.

  • Flavored or unsalted plain fat-free yogurt is a mouth savoring snack.
  • You can also use it as dips and dressings.

Try These Tasty Yogurt Toppings

  • Chia seeds.
  • Hemp seeds.
  • Coconut flakes.
  • Flax seeds.
  • Goji berries.
  • Cinnamon
  • Pistachios

4.) Kiwi to Lower Blood Pressure

One single kiwi contains 7% of magnesium, 2% of calcium and 9% of potassium. This meets up your daily nutritional requirements easily and helps to lower blood pressure. Try this one of the best foods that lower blood pressure fast.

  • Have it raw or mix with yogurt to prepare a healthy snack.
  • Prepare kiwi smoothie.
  • Mix it with custard.

5.) Peaches and Nectarines for High Blood Pressure

A medium peach or nectarine has 1% of calcium, 8% of potassium and 3% of magnesium. These are the amounts of power nutrients that you need to consume regularly. This helps to maintain the BP levels and lower the blood pressure easily, thus maintaining the overall health.

  • Freeze a few freshly cut wedges of a medium size peach.
  • Suck on t like popsicles when suffering from high BP.
  • You can also prepare peach smoothie.

6.) Bananas to Lower Blood Pressure

One single banana has 8% of magnesium, 12% of potassium and 1% of calcium in it. It is one such foods that lower blood pressure easily. This is because it contains the apt amount of power nutrients that are required by your body every day and it also lowers the stress hormones in the blood.

  • Similar to peaches you can also freeze banana slices.
  • Yu can also prepare banana smoothie as an alternative.
  • Banana slices can also be mixed with cereals.
  • Have it in your breakfast every morning.

7.) Red Bell Pepper for High Blood Pressure

One single bell pepper has 1% of calcium, 9% potassium and 4% of magnesium. This is the daily requirement of power nutrients by your body. Including red bell pepper in your diet helps to lower blood pressure easily. All these properties make it one of the best foods that lower blood pressure.

  • Have raw bell peppers in a salad.
  • Grill red bell peppers and have them along with your daily meal.
  • Mix them with baby corns, onions, tomatoes and whatever veggies you prefer to prepare a stir fry.
  • Bell peppers can be stored in your refrigerator for up to 10-12 days.
  • All you need to do is wrap them in a damp paper towel and place them in your fridge.
  • You can also freeze them as an alternative and use later for cooked dishes.

8.) Broccoli to Lower Blood Pressure

A cup of cooked broccoli is a perfect remedy to lower blood pressure. This is because it has 8% of magnesium, 6% of calcium and 14% of potassium. This is the daily dose of power nutrients that you need to control your BP levels.

  • Simply freeze a whole broccoli flower and use it in your recipes later.
  • Grill broccoli flower and use it as a side dish during the meal.
  • It can also be included in your stir fry.
  • Boiled broccoli can also be eaten as a salad.
  • Mix a cup of cooked broccoli with potatoes, corns to prepare a healthy breakfast.

9.) Sweet Potato to Lower Blood Pressure

A medium size sweet potato is enough to control your blood pressure levels. This is because it contains 4% of calcium, 8% of magnesium and 15% of the potassium in it. But if you peel the skin, the magnesium reduces by 1% and potassium by 5%. So, prefer eating along with the skin if you can. This will help to lower blood pressure easily and maintain the overall health.

  • Simply boil or roast the desired quantity of sweet potatoes.
  • Have then in breakfast or whenever you feel hungry.
  • They are a great ingredient for your smoothies.

10.) Avocado for Blood Pressure

One and a half of an avocado has 5% of magnesium, 1% of calcium and 10% of potassium that is apt for your daily power nutrition dosage. It helps to lower the blood pressure and maintain the overall health. In addition, it potent many heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, pressure soothing minerals and health-promoting carotenoids.

  • Simply peel the avocados and have them raw.
  • You can also prepare avocado dip to pair with your favorite snack.
  • As an alternative, simply add olive oil to a pan and toss avocados in it.
  • Add other veggies like bell peppers, jalapenos, chicken breast and whatever you prefer
  • Stir fry a bit then serve.