Gram for gram, sardines are among the most nutrient-dense foods that improve your cardiovascular health, including reducing your blood pressure. Sardines are a rich source of electrolytes, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and protein. You can eat these tiny and flavorful fish with every meal as an appetizer or entrée. Consult your doctor about sardines and blood pressure.
Electrolytes
Sardines contain an abundance of electrolytes that can help you maintain normal levels of blood pressure. One 3.75 oz. can of Atlantic sardines canned in oil with bone contains 365 mg of potassium, 465 mg of sodium, 351 mg of calcium and 36 mg of magnesium. Low intakes of potassium, calcium and magnesium and high intakes of sodium are associated with high blood pressure, according to research published in "Circulation" in August 1998. Eating sardines increases your intake of potassium, calcium and magnesium that you might not get from other foods in your diet. Just be sure to purchase sardines without added sodium so you do not exceed the USDA Dietary Guidelines recommended daily intake of 1,500 mg.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Sardines are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids that include eicosapentaenoic acid and hexaenoic acid. Increasing your dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids may lower your blood pressure. Scientists at Shiga University of Medical Science in Shiga, Japan found that increased intake of omega-3 fatty acids from food is associated with decreased blood pressure, according to research published in "Hypertension" in August 2007. The scientists conclude that food omega-3 fatty acids may contribute to the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure.
Vitamin D
Eating sardines improves your vitamin D levels and may lower your blood pressure. Your body produces vitamin D after skin exposure to sunlight. However, many people who do not get sufficient skin exposure to sunlight become deficient in vitamin D. A vitamin D deficiency increases your risk of high blood pressure, according to scientists at Chicago Medical School, in Illinois and published in the November December edition of the "American Journal of Therapeutics" in 2010. Although scientists have not studied the effects of increasing intake of vitamin D from sardines on lowering blood pressure, they have studied the effects of increasing vitamin D intake from supplements on lowering blood pressure. Scientists at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in the People's Republic of China found increasing intake of vitamin D from supplements may lead to a reduction in systolic blood pressure, according to research published in "Southern Medical Journal" in August 2010.
Proteins
Sardine protein hydrolysates are ground up sardines that lower blood pressure. Scientists at Kyushu Sangyo University in Fukuoka, Japan conducted a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study on 63 individuals to determine the effect of a vegetable drink with sardine protein hydrolysates on blood pressure, according to research published in "Fukuoka Acta Medica" in October 2002. The results demonstrate the drink lowers blood pressure in individuals with mild or borderline high blood pressure.
References
- King Oscar; So Why Is It Called the Sardine Diet?; Glassman, K.; 2011
- "Circulation"; Dietary Electrolytes and Blood Pressure: A Statement for Healthcare Professionals from the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee; T.A. Kotchen; August 11 1998
- United States Department of Agriculture; Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010; 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Omega-3 Fatty Acids; June 25, 2009
- "Hypertension"; Food Omega-3 Fatty Acid Intake of Individuals and Their Blood Pressure: Intermap Study; Hirotsugu Ueshima, et al.; August 2007
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Vitamin D; 2010
