High blood pressure, or hypertension, increases your risk for stroke and kidney disease. A healthy diet may help you prevent high blood pressure if your numbers are currently within normal ranges, and your diet may reduce your blood pressure if it is already high. Beans can be significant in your diet plan to control blood pressure, but consult your doctor if you have concerns about your blood pressure.
Recommendations
Eat beans as part of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet, which is an eating pattern that may prevent high blood pressure, or reduce your blood pressure if you have hypertension, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. At the 2,000-calorie level, the DASH diet recommends four to five servings per week of nuts, seeds or legumes, including lentils, peas or beans, such as lima, pinto, black, garbanzo or northern.
Potassium and Sodium
Beans support a healthy blood pressure because they contain about 600 mg potassium and almost no sodium in each cooked cup. Potassium and sodium regulate your blood pressure, and healthy adults should have at least 4,700 mg potassium per day, and no more than 2,300 mg sodium, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. To keep the sodium content low, cook your own dried beans, or use low-sodium or salt-free canned beans.
Dietary Fiber
Beans supply about 6 to 10 g dietary fiber per cup. Individuals who eat a high-fiber diet tend to have a lower blood pressure, and you should get at least 14 g dietary fiber for each 1,000 calories that you eat, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. Fiber lowers levels of bad LDL cholesterol in your blood, and it may reduce your risk for constipation. Nuts, whole grains, fruits and vegetables are also good sources of fiber.
Magnesium
Most kinds of cooked beans provide more than 100 mg magnesium, or more than 25 percent of the daily value, per cup. Magnesium is an essential nutrient for a healthy blood pressure, but many Americans are at risk for inadequate intake, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Other good sources of magnesium include nuts, whole grains and green vegetables, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center.
References
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Legumes; Jane Higdon; December 2005
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Legumes and Legume Products
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010; January 2010
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Dietary Fiber; Jane Higdon; December 2005
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Magnesium; Jane Higdon; April 2003
