Blood pressure is the resistance produced each time the heart beats and sends blood through the arteries. Between beats, the heart relaxes and blood pressure drops. A normal blood pressure reading for an adult is 120 (systolic), 80 (diastolic). Controlling your blood pressure starts with consuming a healthful, plant-based diet.
Choose a Plant-Based Diet
Choose fresh foods and avoid processed foods. Following a low-fat, fruit-and-veggie-rich diet is almost certain to control blood pressure because it lowers sodium and gives a boost to the nutrients that have been shown to decrease blood pressure if not present. Fruits are rich in nutrients that are particularly helpful in controlling blood pressure, such as potassium, vitamin C, magnesium and calcium. These nutrients relax artery walls and encourage blood flow.
Focus on Fruits
Grab a piece of fruit. Fresh, unprocessed fruits are a great choice for lowering blood pressure. Why? They are chock-full of the vitamins and minerals that are beneficial for heart health, acting as an anti-hypertensive. Enjoy papayas, prunes and prune juice, tomatoes and tomato juice, raisins, oranges and orange juice, strawberries, kiwifruit, watermelon and cantaloupe more often because these fruits in particular are rich in vitamin C, magnesium and potassium.
The Calcium Connection
An adequate intake of calcium is important for blood pressure control as well. However, when you think about calcium-rich foods, fruit probably is not the first food group that comes to mind. While dairy products, nuts and seeds, whole grains and dark green vegetables offer the most calcium, oranges and calcium-fortified orange juice are considered good sources of calcium. For optimal health, consume five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables daily (the less processed, the better). And concentrate on the fruits mentioned here to help lower blood pressure.
References
- World's Healthiest Foods
- Nutrition for Foodservice and Culinary Professionals, 6th ed; Karen Drummond and Lisa Brefere; 2007.
