Maintaining a normal blood pressure is very important because high blood pressure can increase the risk of various dangerous diseases like stroke, kidney failure and heart disease. Some fruits and vegetables have great benefits in controlling blood pressure.
High blood pressure is often called the ’silent killer’ because it often does not show any symptoms. Research shows that including fruits and certain vegetables in your daily diet can help lower blood pressure in your body. According to Livestrong, here are some fruits and vegetables that may lower blood pressure:
1. Beetroot Fruit.
A research conducted by scientists from Barts and London Medical School and Queen Mary University of London shows that drinking beet juice can lower blood pressure. This is because beet root fruits contain nitrates that can help lower blood pressure.
The mechanism which happens is inorganic nitrate levels in the beet root fruit will be converted into nitric oxide gas when eaten. This gas will make blood vessels open and relaxed, so that the blood pressure goes down. However, this effect is more clearly seen in men compared to women.
2. Spinach.
Folate, which is soluble B vitamin found in spinach and broccoli can also lower blood pressure. Scientists from the Policlinico in Modena, Italy, explored the effects of folate on blood pressure in menopausal women.
Participants received 15 mg of folate or placebo for three weeks. The scientists reported in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition that the folate group experienced significant reductions in blood pressure compared with the placebo group.
3. Citrus Fruits.
A study reported in the Hypertension journal April 2005 edition. Scientists from St. George’s Medical School in London examined the effects of potassium citrate found in bananas and citrus fruits, and potassium chloride from supplements. Scientists found that both forms of potassium are effective in lowering blood pressure for patients with stage 1 hypertension.
4. Bananas.
The findings reported in the Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases journal in December 2009 investigated the effects of magnesium supplementation in adults who are overweight.
Researchers found that participants with systolic blood pressure greater than 140 and diastolic pressures between 90 and 99 who consumed 300 mg of magnesium for 12 weeks, decreased blood pressure compared with those who took placebos. Magnesium is widely available in bananas, apples, oranges and pears.
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