High blood pressure, or hypertension, increases your risk for heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. A healthy diet supports a lower blood pressure, and you may want to consider including nettles as part of a balanced plan. Many factors affect your blood pressure and risk for chronic diseases, so talk to your doctor if you have concerns.
Weight Control
Nettles may be beneficial for your blood pressure because each cup of blanched stinging nettles has only 37 calories. Emphasize low-calorie foods in your diet to control your weight and prevent obesity, which is a risk factor for high blood pressure. Stinging nettles are filling for the amount of calories they have because nearly 90 percent of their weight is from water, which is a calorie-free and filling nutrient.
Dietary Fiber
A cup of stinging nettles provides 6.1 g dietary fiber, or nearly 25 percent of the daily value for this phytochemical, or plant nutrient. Dietary fiber is essential for maintaining a healthy blood pressure, but most Americans do not meet recommendations. Potential benefits of a high-fiber diet include lower cholesterol, better regulated blood sugar levels and constipation prevention. Other sources include fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains.
Calcium
Calcium is a necessary mineral for keeping your blood pressure within normal levels, and each cup of cooked nettles has 428 mg calcium, or 43 percent of the daily value. Adequate calcium intake may be effective as part of a diet regimen for treating hypertension, and inadequate intake may increase the risk for gestational diabetes in pregnant women. Other sources include dairy products and fortified soy products.
Other Nutrients
Stinging nettles can be healthful additions to your diet because they are nearly sodium-free, with only 4 mg sodium per cup. A high-sodium diet can cause high blood pressure, and healthy individuals should have no more than 2,300 mg per day, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Potassium and magnesium are essential minerals for regulating blood pressure, and nettles have 297 mg potassium, or 6 percent of the recommended dietary allowance, and 51 mg magnesium, or 13 percent of the RDA.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Stinging Nettle
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010
- MayoClinic.com; High Blood Pressure (Hypertension); March 2011
- Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University; Calcium; Jane Higdon; April 2003
- Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University; Magnesium; Jane Higdon; April 2003
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Stinging Nettles, Blanched (North Plains Indians)
