Eating for Lower Blood Pressure

 

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is perhaps the one condition where the effects of diet have been most extensively studied. "There are many different diets with purported benefits for high blood pressure," says, Dr. Stephen Juraschek, a cardiovascular disease specialist at Harvard Medical School, "but the DASH diet has the strongest base of evidence." DASH emphasizes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy, poultry, fish and healthy (mono and poly unsaturated) fats.

Rather than searching out specific foods with specific benefits, experts suggest looking at your whole pattern of eating (aka, your diet). Still, the evidence in support of including some foods in a low blood pressure diet is pretty strong. The following six foods should have a place in anyone's healthy blood pressure regimen.

Beans, Peas and Lentils. High in both fiber and potassium, two important nutrients for blood pressure control. One study found that increasing fiber from 5g per day to 25g reduced the risk of hypertension by over 50%.

Berries. All berries are good but blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries in particular. They seem to improve blood vessel function, lowering pressure.

Olive Oil. The healthy fat in olive oil  is linked by many studies to lower systolic blood pressure (that's the first, higher number). Because it is a very "calorie dense" food, you should use it sparingly to replace butter or other oils that are high in saturated fats.

Spinach. One of the delights of getting older is that you can admit to liking spinach. The nitrates in spinach help blood vessels to relax (beets are also high in nitrates) and the potassium helps purge sodium from your body.

Bananas. Bananas are a potassium powerhouse. They are also high in fiber, calcium and magnesium. 

Yogurt. In addition to being a good source of calcium, the active bacteria cultures in yogurt help encourage a healthy microbiome. Gut health is being linked to more and more other conditions, high blood pressure among them.

Even if you are not ready to DASH to the grocery store, adding any of these foods to your regular shopping list can only help.