High blood pressure occurs when your arteries become filled with plaque from high blood cholesterol levels. The plaque buildup makes it harder for your blood to pump through, thus, increasing your blood pressure. Things you eat can play a role in your high blood pressure and some things such as olive oil have demonstrated an ability to positively affect high blood pressure.
Basics
Olive oil contains significant amounts of heart healthy monounsaturated fats. These healthy fats are often recommended as part of a heart healthy diet to decrease bad cholesterol levels. The key to using unsaturated fats to improve your heart health is to replace foods containing saturated fats and trans fats with foods that contain mostly unsaturated fats.By consuming olive oil, you can lower your blood cholesterol levels and the reduction in blood cholesterol can lead to decreases in your blood pressure.
Research
According to a study by the University of Barcelona and reported by Natural News, men who added 25 ml of olive oil to their weekly diet experienced a reduction in systolic blood pressure by as much as 3 percent.
Research conducted by the University of Naples and reported by International Health News, backed up these findings. The results of their study supported the idea that the consumption of olive oil can be effective at lowering blood pressure. The researchers at the University of Naples reported that the polyphenols found in olive oil may be contributing to the blood pressure lowering qualities.
Mediterranean Insight
Traditional Mediterranean diets have been found to reduce your risk of dying as a result of a cardiovascular problem, notes MayoClinic.com. One of the primarily foods consumed in a Mediterranean diet is olive oil. People who consume a Mediterranean diet limit their intake of trans fats and saturated fats, but they promote the intake of foods containing unsaturated fats such as olive oil.
According to MayoClinic.com, the monounsaturated fats in olive oil also contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids and these fatty acids have been shown to keep your heart healthy in a number of ways including lowering blood pressure.
Tips
There are things you can do to reap the blood pressure lowering benefits of olive oil. Using non-stick sprays made with olive oil to keep food from sticking to pans. Use olive oil in baked goods instead of other oils. Light olive oil is good for bake goods because it contains all the nutritional benefits, but has a lighter olive oil flavor. Use olive oil as a dip for butter. Mix olive oil into your salads. Sprinkle olive oil over vegetables you are placing on the grill. Spread olive oil on meats before cooking them.
Cautions
Consuming olive oil may help you reduce your cholesterol levels, but it is important to remember that olive oil does not offer a complete fix. Having high blood pressure can lead to serious health problems and even death. Therefore, it may be important for you to take steps beyond olive oil to lower your blood pressure beyond. Talk with your doctor about your risks and whether you need to be taking a medication. Also, reduce your salt intake, get exercise, lose weight and avoid cigarette smoking.
