Eating healthy food to lower blood pressure includes paying strict attention to sodium content. Adopting a low salt diet and focusing on fresh whole foods can keep hypertension at bay. Some foods contain beneficial chemicals that relax the blood vessels and keep blood pressure in check as effectively as some medications. Choosing a variety of healthy foods throughout the day can help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack.
Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate has been shown to lower blood pressure, combined with an otherwise healthy diet. The study, "Consumption of Small Amounts of Dark Chocolate Associated with Reduction in Blood Pressure," published July 4 2007 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, explored the effects of cocoa on blood pressure. Over a period of 18 weeks, patients with untreated hypertension experienced a small reduction in blood pressure from consuming about 6.3g or 30 calories of dark chocolate daily. The authors concluded though the effect was small, it was "noteworthy". Lowering blood pressure by 3 mm can reduce stroke risk by 8 percent, heart disease by 5 percent and death from all causes by 4 percent. Another positive finding was that weight, cholesterol and blood sugar levels remained unaffected by the cocoa.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables contain magnesium that regulates blood pressure. The National Institutes of Health explains that magnesium plays a role in over 300 biochemical processes in the body. Fruits and vegetables also contain potassium, and calcium to support a healthy cardiovascular system in addition to being low in sodium and fat content. The benefits of fruits and vegetables for lowering blood pressure was found in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study that followed 30,000 male health professionals for four years. Diets higher in magnesium, potassium and dietary fiber were associated with lower blood pressure. Green leafy vegetables are an excellent source of magnesium. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables daily provides synergy and balance to help maintain normal blood pressure.
Nuts
Consuming a handful of nuts daily can help keep lower blood pressure. It is important to avoid nuts with salt. Soy nuts are especially beneficial and were studied in postmenopausal women with hypertension. The findings, published 2007 in the "Archives of Internal Medicine" revealed that consuming soy nuts lowered systolic blood pressure by almost ten points and diastolic by almost seven points among 60 women studied who followed an otherwise healthy diet. Walnuts also play a special role for maintaining blood vessel elasticity. A study published October 2006 by the American College of Cardiology showed that eating a handful of walnuts with a high fat meal ameliorated blood vessel damage that comes from inflammation associated fatty foods. The study, "Eating Walnuts with High-Fat Meals Helps to Protect Arteries against Short-Term Damage", attributed arginine content in walnuts as responsible for relaxing the arteries to help lower blood pressure. Arginine is an amino acid that produces beneficial nitric oxide in the body that improves blood flow to all the organs. Eating about 1.5 oz of almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts and pistachio nuts daily are included in healthy foods to lower blood pressure.
