High blood pressure foods for people with hypertension

Hypertension or high blood pressure should not be taken lightly. If not handled properly, this condition will lead to various complications of hypertension that can interfere with your health. One way to control high blood pressure is to adopt a healthy diet, starting from choosing a hypertension-lowering diet, counting calories, and monitoring portions.

Patients with hypertension need to choose foods with appropriate portions and calories. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) recommends eating a total calorie diet of around 2,000 calories per day. Choosing foods with low calories can help you maintain your weight and prevent obesity, which is one of the causes of hypertension.

In addition, follow the DASH dietary guidelines by choosing foods that are low in sodium (salt), fat, and cholesterol, and high in fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium and protein to help control blood pressure. In fact, choosing foods with these criteria can reduce the need to take hypertension drugs. Then, what are the high blood pressure-lowering foods that fall into these criteria?

High blood pressure foods that must be consumed

If you suffer from high blood pressure or hypertension, taking medication alone is not enough to be able to control and lower blood pressure. Some of the people closest to you may recommend several types of food for high blood pressure. However, are all these recommendations correct?

To check the truth, you can see the list of foods to reduce high blood pressure below. The following are foods to lower high blood pressure that you can consume daily:

1. Green vegetables

Green vegetables such as spinach, kale, green radish, mustard greens, and lettuce contain potassium, magnesium and fiber so they are suitable as food for people with hypertension. Consume half a cup of cooked green vegetables every day to lower your high blood pressure.

However, keep in mind, choose fresh vegetables because canned vegetables are one of the causes of high blood pressure which is certainly not good for your health.

2. Yogurt

Yogurt is a dairy product, therefore this type of food contains high calcium which is suitable for people with hypertension. In addition, yogurt is also high in probiotics which are believed to help lower blood pressure, according to several studies.

To include yogurt in your daily menu, you can eat one cup every day or mix it with fruit, nuts, or granola. Don't forget to choose yogurt with low sugar and fat content (low fat) because it's better for your health.

3. Skim milk

In addition to dairy foods such as yogurt, skim milk also contains high calcium and low fat which you can use to lower blood pressure.

According to research published in the Journal of Human Hypertension in 2012, there is a link between consumption of low-fat milk, such as skim milk, and a reduced risk of high blood pressure. Although calcium has an important role in lowering blood pressure, there may also be other components in milk that also play a role, such as peptide compounds from milk.

Consume one cup of low-fat or skimmed milk every day to get the hypertension-lowering benefits you need.

4. Potatoes

Potatoes are a food ingredient that is high in potassium and magnesium and fiber, which can lower blood pressure so it is suitable for people with hypertension.

However, you should not use too much salt when cooking or eating potatoes, as it can actually increase your blood pressure. To get the benefits of potatoes as a hypertension-lowering food, it's a good idea to choose the consumption of potatoes that are only boiled or baked without the addition of salt.

5. Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a food that is low in sodium and fat and high in fiber, making it suitable for lowering high blood pressure. You can choose oatmeal as your breakfast menu. If you find the oatmeal too bland, you can add fresh fruit or a little honey.

6. Fish

Fish is also a powerful food to reduce hypertension. Research published in the Journal Nutrition states that eating fatty fish, such as salmon, three times a week is associated with a decrease in diastolic blood pressure for more than eight weeks.

In addition, many previous studies have found that omega-3 fatty acids contained in fish-based foods have a high blood pressure-lowering effect.

However, you also need to pay attention to the addition of salt in cooking fish. Excess salt in fish can actually increase your blood pressure.

7. Fish oil

Not only fish, fish oil can also be the food of choice for people with hypertension. Fish oil is well known for its various properties, including to prevent high blood pressure and is good for heart health.

8. Lima beans

The potassium content in lima beans originating from Peru, Latin America can also be used as a high blood pressure-lowering food. In addition, lima beans also contain fiber and protein which is certainly good for people with hypertension. You can eat lima beans by boiling them, you can eat them immediately or mix them with other vegetables. Remember, only add a pinch of salt to these dishes.

9. Flaxseed or flaxseed

The omega-3 content in flaxseed or flaxseed is also believed to help lower high blood pressure. Research published in the journal Hypertension in 2013 states that consuming flaxseed can help lower blood pressure for six months in people with hypertension. Apart from omega-3, flaxseed also contains alpha linolenic acid, lignans, peptides, and fiber which may also affect blood pressure.

10. Dark chocolate or dark chocolate

Dark chocolate or dark chocolate rich in flavonoids, which can help lower high blood pressure. Research in BMC Medicine in 2010 mentions, consumption dark chocolate . recommended as a high blood pressure-lowering food for people with hypertension or prehypertension conditions.

The content of flavonoids in dark chocolate associated with the formation of nitric oxide, which can dilate blood vessels and improve blood flow, thereby lowering blood pressure.

If you are confused about choosing dark chocolate that is suitable for people with hypertension, choose chocolate with cacao content up to 70%. The higher the cocoa content, the better it is for your health.

11. Whole wheat

Other foods that you can choose for lowering high blood pressure are whole grains. In 2010, research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed that whole grains could be one of the foods that help lower blood pressure in middle-aged people.

However, experts do not know for sure why whole wheat is a high blood-lowering food. But certainly, these foods have a high fiber content, so they can prevent narrowing of blood vessels and potentially lower blood pressure.

To get these hypertension-lowering benefits, you can choose several types of foods, such as bread, cereals, or pasta that come from whole grains. Half a cup of cooked cereal or pasta (from whole grains) a day is enough to help lower your blood pressure.

12. Pistachios

A good food for other high blood pressure sufferers, namely pistachio nuts. Pistachios contain healthy fats and are a good source of protein, fiber and antioxidants for the body.

In a study published in the US National Library of Medicine, consumption of one serving of pistachio nuts a day can help reduce blood pressure. One type of nuts can also lower cholesterol so that it can also reduce the risk of heart disease, including for people with hypertension.

To consume them, you can make pistachio nuts as a daily snack or you can mix them with a salad.

Fruit that is useful as lowering high blood pressure

In addition to the foods above, some fruits can also lower blood pressure so that they are suitable for consumption by people with hypertension. Here are the fruits that you can choose for daily consumption:

1. Bananas

Banana is a fruit that is very easy to find in Indonesia. Besides being cheap, bananas are also useful as high blood-lowering foods.

The high potassium content in bananas can help balance the high sodium levels in the body of people with hypertension, so this food is considered effective as a hypertension lowering. You can eat bananas directly or also as a friend to eat cereal or yogurt.

2. Berries

Berries, especially blueberries, contain flavonoids. A study shows that flavonoids can prevent and reduce high blood pressure so it is suitable for people with hypertension. You can consume one cup of blueberries every day and can add it to your yogurt or morning cereal.

3. Beets

Several studies have shown that drinking beet juice can lower high blood pressure. One of the studies that proved this came from a study published in the Nutrition Journal in 2013. This study proved that there was a decrease in systolic blood pressure after six hours of consuming beet juice, especially in male participants.

This can occur because the content of nitrates, which are found in beets, can be a food source for high blood pressure. You can eat beets by juicing or cooking (grilled or steamed).

4. Pomegranate

Pomegranate or also called pomegranate has properties as a hypertension-lowering food.

Research published by Plant Foods for Human Nutrition demonstrated that consumption of more than one glass of pomegranate juice daily for four weeks can lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The content of potassium and polyphenols in pomegranate is believed to play a role in lowering blood pressure.

You can also find high polyphenol content in dark chocolate, olive oil and hibiscus tea.

5. Kiwi

Kiwi is a fruit or food that is recommended for people with high blood pressure. The reason is, kiwi contains calcium, magnesium and potassium which can lower blood pressure.

Apart from containing these three minerals, kiwi fruit is also rich in vitamin C which is antioxidant. These antioxidants can help your body fight free radicals and prevent damage to cells in the body.

6. Avocado

The benefits of avocado are well known by many people. Apart from being good for skin health, it turns out that avocado can also be used as a food for lowering high blood pressure.

Avocado is a fruit that is rich in good fats and vitamins and minerals, such as potassium, calcium and magnesium which are suitable for lowering blood pressure.

7. Tomatoes

Other high-potassium foods that are suitable for lowering high blood pressure are tomatoes. This is evidenced by a study by the Tokyo Medical and Dental University and the Tucson Plant Breeding Institute, with 184 men and 297 women as participants who were asked to drink fresh tomato juice every day for a year.

As a result, blood pressure in 94 participants with hypertension decreased, with systolic blood pressure dropping from 141.2 to 137 mmHg, while the diastolic number decreased from 83.3 to 80.9 mmHg. Although it is not stated exactly what content in tomatoes can lower blood pressure, it is possible that the antioxidants and carotenoids contained in tomatoes play an important role.

8. Oranges

The content contained in citrus fruits, one of which is potassium, is also useful for lowering your blood pressure. A study conducted by the Cleveland Clinic research team proves this.

A total of 25 participants with heart disease followed this study and were asked to drink two glasses of orange juice a day. As a result, the participants' blood pressure decreased significantly. In fact, two weeks later, most of the participants had normal blood pressure.

However, more research needs to be done to prove the effect of oranges on lowering blood pressure.

9. Watermelon

Watermelon is also another food that you can use to lower high blood pressure. Several studies have shown that the L-citrulline and L-arginine content in watermelon plays a role in lowering blood pressure.

According to a study found on American Journal of Hypertension , the citrulline content in watermelon can reduce the systolic and diastolic numbers in people with hypertension.

This decrease is more clearly seen in patients with high blood pressure in the ankle (ankle blood pressure) and upper arm (brachial blood pressure), especially in overweight patients aged 50 years and over.

10. Pineapple

Another fruit that you can consume to lower blood pressure is pineapple. This fruit that is synonymous with sour taste is rich in potassium, which is beneficial for people with hypertension.

11. Pear

Pears are also a fruit that is rich in potassium and other antioxidants. The potassium content in pears is about 190 mg. In addition, this fruit also does not contain sodium and fat, so that your risk of experiencing high blood pressure is reduced.

Long-term consumption of pears also helps you lose weight, maintains excess muscle contraction, controls heart rate, and accelerates the body's metabolic processes.

12. Melon

This fruit with a distinctive sweet taste is not only delicious and refreshing, but can also be used as a high blood pressure-lowering food. Melons contain high potassium, so this food is suitable for people with hypertension.

Not only can it lower blood pressure, this fruit can also improve sugar levels, prevent the risk of dehydration, improve the immune system with its vitamin C content, and facilitate digestion because it is rich in fiber.

Melons also have low calories so they are suitable for preventing overweight or obesity which can cause hypertension.

Apart from the fruits above, several other fruits also contain potassium to lower blood pressure, such as mangoes, grapes, and apples.

You can consume the fruits above by eating them directly as a snack, processed into juices, and as a complement to salads, yogurt, cereals, or other foods.

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