Superfoods To Consider To Regulate Blood Pressure
Health experts have been speaking about the importance of keeping normal and healthy blood pressure levels for decades now and to some, it’s still not clear why. Allow us to explain.
High blood pressure or hypertension is when the force of the blood flowing through the blood vessels is consistently too high.
When this happens, extra strain is placed on organs like the heart, brain, kidneys and even the eyes.
This silent killer can wreak havoc on the body for years before symptoms develop, which means that the worst part is people will have it and have no idea.
Studies have shown that nearly half of all Americans have high blood pressure.
If you’re worried, fear not. One of the easiest ways to reduce and control your blood pressure is through your diet, and that’s exactly why we’re here today.
We’re going to tell you the foods you should eat more of and how they’ll help your blood pressure, as well as the foods you should stay away from, along with the terrible things they do to make your pressure climb.
If that’s something you’re interested in learning about, keep reading.
Green Leafy Vegetables
Green leafy vegetables are great because they contain potassium. Potassium, if you didn’t know, has the ability to help the kidneys get rid of sodium.
Here’s a quick lesson about sodium (one of the elements that make up salt): when we eat too much salt, the body holds onto water to try to dilute it.
The extra water in our blood means the heart has to work harder because it’s pushing more liquid through the blood vessels.
The harder the heart works, the more force is exerted on our blood vessels. Over time, this leads to high blood pressure.
That’s why it’s important to find foods that help combat sodium- foods like arugula and lettuce.
Berries
Berries, blueberries in particular, are filled with natural (the important word here) antioxidants and flavonoids (they help the body function more efficiently and protect against toxins at the same time).
Both of these compounds have been proven to reduce high blood pressure. The best part is that they’re easy to incorporate into one’s diet.
They can be used in a morning smoothie, eaten as a snack in the mid-morning, added to a salad for lunch or thrown into some yogurt as a dessert.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is perfect for breakfast for some many reasons, including that it’s in high fiber, low in fat, low in sodium and helps reduce hypertension.
It’s good for fueling the body at the start of the day and also helps with weight loss. And no one says it has to be boring.
There are many ways to spice up your oatmeal including by cooking them with our aforementioned friends, the berries, by sprinkling some granola in, by topping it with nuts and seeds and so much more.
Omega-3s
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fats that the body needs but can’t make from scratch. And the way we get them is in our food.
They help reduce high blood pressure as effectively as lifestyle changes like exercising, limiting alcohol and cutting back on salt.
They’re found in high amounts in fish like salmon, mackerel and herring and also oysters and caviar- so you can definitely get your sushi night on while loading up on omega-3s.
Non-seafood omega-3-rich foods include walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds and soybeans.