![]() ![]() It’s still high in calories (120 calories per tablespoon), so use it in place of butter or other less healthy fats. Some studies have linked extra virgin olive oil, which is rich in healthy plant compounds, with reduced systolic blood pressure (as well as other heart disease risk factors). In a 2015 review of research published in The Journal of Nutrition, supplementing with flaxseed (which contains anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, among other healthy nutrients) for more than three months helped reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure by almost 2 points each. A recent study in the Journals of Gerontology, Series A, found that consuming them daily for a month resulted in a 5-point drop in blood pressure.įlaxseed. The anthocyanins in these berries, which give them their vibrant hue, may help enhance blood vessel function, lowering pressure. A 2018 study in the journal Nutrients found that when adults increased their fiber intake (from cereal and vegetables, including beans) from 5 grams to 25 grams a day, their risk of hypertension dropped by 53 percent.īlueberries. High in fiber and potassium, these have been shown to lower blood pressure. Even though their effect on blood pressure may appear small (just 2 points, in some cases), that can still have an impact on your risk of heart attack and stroke.īeans, peas, and lentils. “That’s what will make the biggest difference.” Still, when you’re deciding what to include as part of a healthy diet, consider adding the following to your grocery list. Lichtenstein, D.Sc., director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. “You really have to look at the overall eating pattern that you’re following, not individual foods by themselves,” says Alice H. Even seemingly healthy menu items, like salads or chicken, may contain higher amounts of sodium than those prepared at home. “Just 2 teaspoons of salad dressing can have a quarter of the recommended amount of sodium.” And restaurant food is a huge source of sodium. ![]() 1 source of sodium in the American diet,” Juraschek says. ![]() Get out of the habit of salting your food, but also remember that more than 70 percent of sodium intake comes from packaged and prepared foods. Ask your doctor whether going lower might be beneficial for you. The daily sodium recommendation is less than 2,300 mg. “There’s reason to believe should work for most people,” Juraschek says. For example, a 2001 study in The New England Journal of Medicine found that limiting sodium and following a DASH diet resulted in even bigger reductions in blood pressure than doing DASH alone. The experts we interviewed emphasize the importance of a lower-sodium diet for reducing blood pressure. (He led a study, published in 2018 in Clinical Cardiology, that found that people who ate a raw, solely plant-based diet were able to lower their blood pressure by 16 systolic and 9 diastolic points, in addition to reducing blood pressure medications by a third.) Fruits and vegetables are often high in antioxidants and phytochemicals, compounds that counteract free radicals. When free radicals accumulate, they inhibit this process, Najjar says. Endothelial cells lining arteries produce nitric oxide, which causes the blood vessels to dilate, improving blood flow and reducing pressure. “An underlying cause of high blood pressure is oxidative stress from free radicals,” says Rami Najjar, a doctoral candidate in chemistry and nutrition at Georgia State University. Not only is DASH high in blood-pressure-lowering potassium, magnesium, and fiber but it also supplies plant compounds that may have a direct effect on blood vessels. Research published in 2017 in the journal Hypertension found that people who followed DASH saw their blood pressure drop by more than 4 points systolic and 1 point diastolic within a week. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |