Uncontrolled and untreated high blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke. It is often referred to as the silent killer, since it usually has no symptoms. Research indicates that incorporating certain foods into your diet may be effective for lowering blood pressure.
Potassium-rich Foods
Increasing your intake of potassium-rich foods, such as bananas, raisins, fish, apricots and potatoes, may reduce blood pressure, according to a study conducted by researchers from St. George's Medical School in London. Patients with stage 1 hypertension were randomly assigned potassium chloride, which is only available in supplement form, or potassium citrate, which is found naturally in foods. At the end of the study, researchers found that patients in both groups experienced decreases in blood pressure. Scientists reported their findings in the April 2005 issue of the journal "Hypertension."
Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate contains antioxidant compounds called polyphenols, which might improve blood pressure levels. Scientists from the Hospital of Cologne in Germany assigned patients with pre-hypertension and stage 1 hypertension 6.3 g per day of dark chocolate containing 30 mg of polyphenols or matching white chocolate for 18 weeks. They reported in the July 2007 issue of the "Journal of the American Medical Association," that patients consuming dark chocolate lowered their blood pressure.
Walnuts and Walnut Oil
In research reported in the October 2010 issue of the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition," researchers from Penn State University investigated the impact of walnuts and walnut oil on reaction to stress .They discovered healthy adults consuming 1.3 oz. of walnuts and 1 tsp. of walnut oil for six weeks lowered their resting blood pressure and blood pressure responses to stressful situations, such as giving a speech or putting their foot in cold water, compared to those without walnuts and walnut oil.
Watermelon
In findings reported in the January 2011 issue of the "American Journal of Hypertension," Florida State University scientists investigated the impact of watermelon supplementation on blood pressure levels in patients with pre-hypertension. Subjects were assigned six weeks of watermelon supplementation, which contained 2.7 g of the amino acid citrulline and 1.3 g of the amino acid arginine, or a placebo. At the end of the treatment, the watermelon supplementation group experienced reductions in blood pressure compared to the placebo group.
References
- Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide: Potassium Lowers Blood Pressure
- Science Daily: Consumption Of Small Amounts Of Dark Chocolate Associated With Reduction In Blood Pressure
- Science Daily: Walnuts, Walnut Oil, Improve Reaction to Stress
- American Journal of Hypertension: Effects of Watermelon Supplementation on Aortic Blood Pressure and Wave Reflection in Individuals with Prehypertension: A Pilot Study
