Have you been told that you have high blood pressure? Even if you live a lifestyle where you add movement regularly into your week and do your best to eat healthily you may end up with high blood pressure. High blood pressure can put your heart at risk of developing a heart attack or stroke. High blood pressure also increases your risk of developing other health conditions like damage to your brain, eyes, and kidneys.
If you are wanting to make lifestyle changes to improve your blood pressure but are not a fan of restrictions this is a must-read blog for you. Here are five dietary additions you can include to help take your blood pressure down.
- Increase Potassium Food Choices
Potassium is a mineral that works with another mineral called sodium. These minerals work together to regulate your blood pressure as well as support normal muscle contractions. Most people do not eat enough potassium. This causes there to be an imbalance of sodium which increases your blood pressure.
Good sources of potassium include fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, legumes, beans, dairy and salmon.
2. Add in Magnesium
Magnesium is an essential major mineral your body needs to function. It is involved in over 325 different body functions. This includes helping to regulate your blood pressure. Good sources of magnesium include nuts, seeds, wholegrains like wholegrain bread, and couscous, quinoa, oats, wholegrain crackers, brown, black, or red rice. Also, tofu, dairy, leafy greens, seeds like pumpkin seeds, and nuts such as almonds.
3. Increase Calcium Intake
Calcium is a mineral needed for strong bones and teeth as well as assists in normal muscle contractions. This includes normal contractions in your heart. Meeting your daily needs of calcium is one way you can help keep your blood pressure at healthy levels.
Good sources of calcium include dairy, fortified soy products like tofu and soy milk, almonds with skin, leafy greens, also sardines, and canned pink salmon with bones.
4. Add in Nitrate Foods
Dietary nitrates can help your blood vessels widen or dilate. This improves the blood flow through your blood vessels and allows more oxygen and other important nutrients to be delivered throughout your body. As a result, this helps to lower your blood pressure.
Good sources of nitrate containing foods include beetroot, leafy greens like spinach, kale, and lettuce. Also, fennel, radishes, rocket, Chinese cabbage, and parsley.
5. Add in More Prebiotic and Probiotic Foods and Beverages
Prebiotic foods feed the health promoting microbes in your gut to stay healthy. The World Health Organisation defines probiotics as ‘live microbes, when given to your body in adequate amounts provide health benefits’. Your body is like a garden and more than one flower is more beautiful and in the case of your body the more variety of probiotics you have the better.
Having a healthy gut microbiome helps to keep your body healthy in many ways, which may include helping to promote healthy blood pressure levels.
Prebiotic foods are found in good amounts in whole plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, beans, and wholegrains. Probiotic rich foods can be found in foods like yoghurt, miso, tempeh, natto, sauerkraut, kefir, pickled cucumbers, gouda, mozzarella, cheddar, and cottage cheese.
Take home message: If you are wanting to lower your blood pressure but wanting to skip restrictions, try adding these five additions into your diet.
References:
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- Mack DR. Probiotics-mixed messages. Can Fam Physician. 2005 Nov;51(11):1455-7, 1462-4. PMID: 16353824; PMCID: PMC1479485.
- Aleixandre de Artiñano MA, Puerro Vicente M. Importancia del calcio en la dieta para la regulación de la presión arterial [The importance of calcium in the diet for blood pressure regulation]. Med Clin (Barc). 1993 Nov 20;101(17):660-7. Spanish. PMID: 8289512.
- Gröber U, Schmidt J, Kisters K. Magnesium in Prevention and Therapy. Nutrients. 2015 Sep 23;7(9):8199-226. doi: 10.3390/nu7095388. PMID: 26404370; PMCID: PMC4586582.
- Richards EM, Li J, Stevens BR, Pepine CJ, Raizada MK. Gut Microbiome and Neuroinflammation in Hypertension. Circ Res. 2022 Feb 4;130(3):401-417. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.121.319816. Epub 2022 Feb 3. PMID: 35113664; PMCID: PMC8852773.
- Filippini T, Naska A, Kasdagli MI, Torres D, Lopes C, Carvalho C, Moreira P, Malavolti M, Orsini N, Whelton PK, Vinceti M. Potassium Intake and Blood Pressure: A Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Am Heart Assoc. 2020 Jun 16;9(12):e015719. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.119.015719. Epub 2020 Jun 5. PMID: 32500831; PMCID: PMC7429027.
