If you’re diagnosed with high blood pressure, you already know that the biggest change has to be in your diet. Exercising is recommended too, especially to those who lead sedentary lifestyles. However, what most people don’t know is that BP isn’t something that’s stable; it has the capacity to fluctuate throughout the day. So just because your BP was normal in the morning, doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll remain the same by the end of the day. Of course, you can always rely on medicines to control your BP, but what if we tell you some foods that help lower blood pressure naturally?

Foods That Lower Blood Pressure

Knowing what to eat and when to eat can easily bring down your BP to normal levels, without you rushing to your doctor or your jar of pills to consume. Not to mention how eating right always has wonderful long term health benefits for both your mind and body:
1

Kale

Kale possesses a unique nutrient profile, which includes potassium, magnesium and vitamin C. If you eat at least one kale daily in any form, you can easily lower your blood pressure. What’s more, continued consumption of kale can eventually lead to an almost regulated blood sugar level.

2

Nuts like almonds and cashews

Both these nuts are high in magnesium, and for those of you who don’t know, this mineral alone is responsible for making at least 300 different processes happen in your body. A magnesium high diet means stabilized blood pressure levels. And seeing how almost 70% of Americans are magnesium deficient due to their heavy dependence on meat based diets, it’s no surprise to see the country witnessing an ever increasing number of diabetics.

3

Turmeric

Turmeric has been the backbone of Indian cuisine for over a millennia now, and for good reasons. Apart from having great anti-fungal, healing and repairing properties, turmeric is also one of the foods that lower blood pressure. It has only been very recently that Western science has acknowledged the huge potential the humble turmeric root has, and it’s all thanks to its main ingredient called curcumin. Its benefits include increasing circulation of nitric oxide in your body, going as high as a 40% increase if you take daily doses of turmeric. This in turn helps keep your BP in control, not to mention the many other benefits it provides to your body, including beauty and cardiovascular benefits.

4

Beetroot

Clinical trials on the effect of beetroot on blood pressure and sugar levels found out that within just a couple of hours, it can reduce your BP by 4-10 mmHg, which is astounding, seeing how beetroots are 100% natural and organic. And in case you didn’t know, a 5mmHg reduction is all that you need to reduce your chances of stroke by almost 15%.

5

Green tea

Like turmeric, green tea has been a staple diet of Chinese for many centuries. For those who didn’t know it already, green tea is a powerhouse of nutrients and antioxidants and its benefits to your body both inside and out are unparalleled.

The main reason why green tea is included in our list of foods that lower blood pressure is because of its active ingredients called polyphenols. One polyphenol in particular, called catechin, has proved to improve your blood flow, lowering your blood pressure.

6

Green coffee

I mean sure, brown coffee beans are heavenly when mixed with water or milk, but have you ever thought about switching to green coffee? The thing is, most coffee beans contain chlorogenic acid, which has great health benefits for your body, one of which is improving your blood circulation and balancing blood pressure. However, when beans are roasted, most of their chlorogenic acid content is lost. So try certain green coffee of your choice.

7

Water, water and water

First off, ditch any and every sugary or alcoholic beverages from your life. Second, you should at least be drinking 6 liters of water every single day. The thing is, the more water you drink, the more hydrated your arteries and veins are, which in turn helps ease your heart’s work load considerably. Not to mention how water gives you a healthy, glowing skin! If you think just drinking water is too much, how about shifting to lemonade or iced tea? It’s all about spicing up your diet!

8

Raw fruits and veggies

When it comes to foods that lower blood pressure, there’s nothing quite like a substitute for fruits and green, leafy veggies. All of them contain high amounts of potassium, magnesium, several vitamins, calcium and iron among other things, which help greatly in keeping your BP under control. If you think eating raw veggies isn’t your thing, opt for a salad! Still not your thing? Then go the Indian way and learn how you can incorporate more leafy veggies in your diet by cooking Indian style food.

9

Stevia

There’s no secret that refined sugar is harmful for your health – either white or brown. Sure, you can opt for chemical sweetening agents, but why should you when you have a natural alternative like stevia available to you? It doesn’t lower your BP per say, but it’s a far better alternative sweetening agent than practically everything else available in the market. Do switch over to it.

10

Precaution

When it comes to blood pressure, nothing is quite as harmful as processed or prepackaged meals. Why? Well, in order to keep them fresh, they’re loaded with high amounts of sodium, which can immediately spike your BP. Keep salty foods to a minimum and if at all possible, eliminate from your diet completely, especially if you’re above 50 years of age.

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