Fenugreek may be a healthy addition to your diet if you have hypertension or high blood pressure. The condition occurs if your systolic blood pressure is over 140 mm Hg or if your diastolic blood pressure is above 90 mm Hg. With your doctor's approval, eat fenugreek as part of an overall healthy diet to control blood pressure and lower your risk for related diseases, including heart disease and stroke.
Sodium
Fenugreek has only 7 mg sodium per tablespoon. A high-sodium diet can keep your blood pressure at high levels, and individuals with hypertension 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. To flavor your foods without adding much sodium, use spices, such as fenugreek, instead of salt or salty spice mixes. A teaspoon of salt contains 2,325 mg sodium.
Dietary Fiber
A 1 tbsp. serving of dried fenugreek seeds provides 2.7 mg dietary fiber, or 11 percent of the daily value. A high-fiber diet may lower your blood pressure, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center, but the typical American gets less than half of recommended amounts. The high fiber content of fenugreek may make it an effective dietary supplement for preventing or relieving constipation, lowering high cholesterol or regulating your blood sugar if you have diabetes, according to the University of Maryland. Before taking any dietary supplement, consult your doctor about your health concerns.
Potassium
Each tablespoon of dried fenugreek seeds has 85 mg potassium, and increasing your potassium may contribute to a healthier blood pressure, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy adults should get at least 4,700 mg potassium per day, and you can meet your needs by eating a diet with plenty of plant-based foods. Just 1 cup of carrot juice provides 664 mg potassium, and 1/2 cup of lima beans has 478 mg.
Recommendations
Eat fenugreek as part of a balanced diet to get all of the nutrients you need to lower your blood pressure. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet, is an eating pattern which may lower blood pressure in individuals with hypertension, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, reduced-fat dairy products, whole grains and lean proteins, while limiting fatty meats and salty foods.
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Spices and Herbs
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010; January 2010
- Langone Medical Center: Fenugreek
- Mayo Clinic; High Blood Pressure (Hypertension); March 2011
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Dietary Fiber; Jane Higdon; December 2005
