A blood pressure is the force of the blood against the walls of the arteries, according to the National Heart Blood and Lung Institute's publication "Your Guide to Lowering Blood Pressure." A high blood pressure is systolic number--the upper number in a blood pressure reading--of 140 or greater and a diastolic number of 90 or greater, says MayoClinic.com. High blood pressure increases a persons risk for heart disease, congestive heart failure and kidney disease. Adding certain foods to the diet may be able to reduce high blood pressure.
Potassium Rich Foods
Foods high in potassium tend to lower blood pressure, according to the Harvard Medical School. People with high blood pressure who eat a diet high in potassium can decrease their systolic blood pressure by 10 and their diastolic blood pressure by 5. Foods high in potassium include bananas, citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes, melons, whole-grain cereals, yogurt and poultry. People need to check with their doctor before increasing the amount of potassium in their diet, warns Harvard. People with kidney disease, for example, cannot eat foods high in potassium.
Magnesium Rich Foods
Magnesium is a mineral essential for good health. It plays an important role in biochemical reactions, maintenance of muscle and nerve function, heart rhythm, immune health and bone formation. Magnesium also helps to promote normal blood pressure, according to the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, clinical trial showed that diets high in magnesium helped to significantly reduce high blood pressure. Foods high in magnesium include halibut, almonds, cashews, soy beans, mixed nuts, spinach, shredded wheat, oatmeal, potatoes with the skin, peanuts, wheat bran, black-eyed peas, yogurt, lentils, kidney beans, bananas and brown rice.
Calcium Rich Foods
Calcium is a mineral most often associated with bone health. But a diet consisting of 1,000 mg of calcium a day may also help to lower blood pressure, according to a report published by the Bastyr Center for Natural Health. The DASH clinical trials showed that people who ate a diet high in low fat dairy foods, a source of calcium, had lower blood pressure. The addition of calcium to the diet may decrease systolic blood pressure by 1.9 and the diastolic blood pressure by 1.0, according to the Bastyr Center for Natural Health. Food sources of calcium include milk, yogurt, low-fat cheese, fortified orange juice, fortified cereals, fortified soy milk, spinach, tofu and salmon with the bones.
References
- MayoClinic.com: 10 Ways to Control High Blood Pressure Without Medication
- Harvard Medical School: Potassium Lowers Blood Pressure
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Magnesium
- Bastyr Center for Natural Health: Calcium Reduces High Blood Pressure
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Your Guide to Lowering Blood Pressure
