It contains calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and folate. Romaine lettuce is also rich in phytonutrients that can lower blood pressure. According to studies, romaine lettuce can lower blood pressure by reducing oxidative stress. Romaine lettuce contains flavonoids and carotenoids that can regulate blood pressure.
The potassium content in iceberg lettuce helps to check blood pressure and heart rate and thereby takes care of your heart. Iceberg lettuce also contains essential nutrients that help to harden the arteries while the dietary fiber in this vegetable regulates the blood flow rate to the heart.
Leafy greens: Cabbage, collard greens, spinach, kale, and other greens are high in nitrates, which have been found to offer blood pressure benefits. It's easier to get your daily dose of greens by varying how you eat them.
Vegetables that are high in potassium and rich in minerals and antioxidants can help reduce your blood pressure. They include tomatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, cabbage, and carrots. Diet plays an important role in lowering or elevating your blood pressure.
Go Green (and Leafy)
Fill your plate with leafy greens like spinach, broccoli, kale, or collards for a potassium boost. The mineral helps flush sodium out of your body through your pee and relaxes your blood vessel walls.
According to Macrobiotic nutritionists and health practitioner Shilpa Arora says, "high potassium food items should be encouraged for high BP. Potatoes, beets, carrots, oranges and bananas are excellent food choices." Potassium negates ill effects of sodium, by eliminating sodium through your urine.
Cheese is a great source of protein and calcium but is often high in saturated fat and salt. This means eating too much could lead to high cholesterol and high blood pressure, increasing your risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Avocados are rich in potassium. Potassium helps level out your blood pressure by lowering sodium levels in your blood and easing tension in your blood vessel walls.
Carrots are rich in phenolic compounds which are found to reduce inflammation and relax blood vessels. A study with over 2,000 people found that eating raw carrots helped to lower the group's blood pressure levels.
Eggs. While eggs have had a checkered reputation in the past because of their cholesterol content, recent research suggests these protein powerhouses can actually help improve both your cholesterol and your blood pressure while keeping you satisfied.
Bananas. These are rich in potassium, a nutrient shown to help lower blood pressure, says Laffin.
Cucumbers are a good source of potassium, magnesium and dietary fibre. These nutrients are known to lower blood pressure, thus reducing the risk of heart diseases. Research has also proved that regular consumption of cucumber juice was helpful in reducing blood pressure, in elderly people with hypertension.
Tomatoes are a good source of potassium, which also plays a role in lowering blood pressure.
The top fruits for lowering blood pressure include bananas, apples, pears, apricots, grapes, raisins, kiwis, mangoes, watermelon, pomegranate, plums, prunes, avocado, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, tomatoes, citrus fruit, berries, and more.
They are found to be rich in an important type of polyunsaturated fat called omega-3, which has been shown to help lower blood pressure.
Yogurt by itself does not lower blood pressure or prevent hypertension. But a diet that includes nutrient-rich foods like low-fat yogurt instead of less healthy foods does combat high blood pressure. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) plan calls for two to three servings of low-fat dairy per day.
As in most cases, a moderate intake of butter will obviate most of the health risks ascribed to it, including a high level of bad cholesterol. This is especially so in individuals who already have heart disease or high blood pressure.
Eggs are also a rich source of heart-healthy unsaturated fat and vitamins B6, B12, and D. However, are eggs good for high blood pressure? Yes, eggs can be one of the best food options if you have high blood pressure.
Excessive dietary sodium is associated with elevated blood pressure (EBP). Bread products are identified as one of the main sources of daily sodium intake.
Milk products contain key blood pressure–lowering nutrients, including calcium, potassium and magnesium. “Milk products also contain a special type of proteins, called bioactive peptides, which have been shown to have a positive effect on blood pressure control,” says Bourdeau.