Eat Blood Pressure Reducing Foods

Pomegranates – Besides being loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, there is a certain component in pomegranate that is powerful enough to inhibit the action of angiotensin-converting enzyme. This enzyme is known to elevate high blood pressure in people. They function very much like the ACE inhibitors that are on the market, but reduce blood pressure naturally instead of chemically. Eating them regularly is the key to this benefit.

Dark Chocolate – According to research, small amounts of dark chocolate daily is good for your heart as well as your blood pressure. The flavonols in the chocolate can relax blood vessels, which can help reduce blood pressure gradually. Reducing your systolic blood pressure by only five points can help reduce risk of stroke by as much as ten percent. Since chocolate is high in sugar and fat, two small squares of dark chocolate per day is enough for the added health benefits.

Bananas – Bananas are known for their high potassium content, which aids in blood pressure regulation as well as inhibits the ill effects of consuming too much sodium. They also have components that inhibit the angiotensin-converting enzyme just like pomegranates. Experts suggest eating two bananas per day to help lower blood pressure levels by up to ten percent. Other foods high in potassium include baked potatoes with skin, orange juice and nonfat yogurt.

Celery/Celery Juice - Chinese medicine has been using celery for years to reduce blood pressure. Scientists have found that celery contains a unique oil that relaxes the muscles that regulate blood pressure, improving flow and lowering pressure. Eating four stalks per day or drinking celery juice has been known to completely reverse high blood pressure in some people.

 

Get Enough Vitamin D

Science has discovered that the farther you live from the equator, the higher your risk for developing high blood pressure. Typically, blood pressure is higher in winter months than during the summer. Sunlight can affect blood pressure in several ways. We all know that sunlight causes your body to produce vitamin D. However, lack of sunlight uses your D stores and increases parathyroid hormone production, which raises blood pressure. Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to insulin resistance, which can affect cholesterol, triglyceride levels, obesity and blood pressure. Exposure to appropriate amounts of sunlight is a basic requirement for your health and in addition to normalizing blood pressure, helps many systems and organs throughout your body.

Eliminate Caffeine

The relationship between caffeine consumption and blood pressure is not completely understood by scientists, but they do know that increased caffeine intake increases blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, it’s a good idea to reduce or eliminate caffeine intake. To see how sensitive you are to caffeine’s blood-pressure-boosting effects, check your blood pressure before and within an hour after consuming a caffeinated beverage. If it increases by 5 to 10 points, you could be caffeine sensitive.

Reduce Your Alcohol Intake

Science has shown that moderate drinking (no more than 1 drink for women and 2 drinks for men per day) has heart-health benefits. However, drinking too much can elevate blood pressure. Consuming more than two drinks per day increases the risk of increased blood pressure for both men and women. If you do drink, try to drink with your meals, as the slower absorption may cancel out the negative effects on blood pressure.

Increase Exercise and Decrease Stress

Exercise is known to increase endorphins, your feel-good receptors, so it naturally de-stresses you. In addition to the many other health benefits, it can also help reduce blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day to bring down blood pressure by as much as 3 to 5 points (systolic) and 2 to 3 points (diastolic). Other practices that can help you de-stress and decrease blood pressure include yoga and meditation. There are several good web sites that provide guided meditations for beginners.

Take Your Vitamins

Taking vitamins and supplements without making other lifestyle changes is not the best approach for decreasing blood pressure. However, if you make healthy lifestyle and food choices in addition to including these supplements, you can keep your blood pressure at optimal levels.

Calcium and magnesium – When taken daily, these can assist in lowering blood pressure, especially if yours is on the high end of high.

Vitamins C and E – Studies show that these vitamins can be helpful in reducing blood pressure, however, it’s best to get these vitamins from whole foods in your diet.

Olive Leaf Extract – A few studies have recently shown that supplementing with 1,000 mg of olive leaf extract daily can significantly decrease blood pressure and LDL “bad” cholesterol. Fresh leaf extracts in liquid form can be found in many health food stores or you can make your own olive leaf tea

A natural approach to preventing disease and curing illness is both healthy and cost effective. You are your own best advocate for optimal health. Follow your doctor’s advice and talk to him or her about these lifestyle changes to find the best mix for you.

Sources:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/08/discover-the-secret-to-lowering-your-blood-pressure-in-15-minutes.aspx

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20488689,00.html

http://www.lowerbloodpressurenow.org/natural-blood-pressure-reducers/

http://www.usgyms.net/bloodpres.htm