High blood pressure affects more than 30 percent of adults in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although you may not feel any symptoms, high blood pressure is deadly and increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. While medications may be prescribed to help you control your blood pressure, making changes to your diet by adding nutrient-rich foods like yellow peas, can improve your numbers.
Blood Pressure
Blood pressure measures the force of blood as it is pumped by your heart against your artery walls. The measurement includes the pressure when your heart is beating, known as systolic pressure, and the pressure in between heart beats, known as diastolic pressure. A normal blood pressure should measure less than 120 mm Hg over 80 mm Hg. If your blood pressure consistently measures greater than 140 mm Hg over 90 mm Hg you are considered hypertensive, and may be diagnosed with high blood pressure by your doctor.
Yellow Peas
Yellow peas are a type of legume found as dried split peas. They are high in fiber and protein, and a good source of iron. A 1/4 cup serving of dry yellow split peas contains 170 calories, 0.5 g of total fat, 0 g of saturated fat, 10 mg of sodium, 31 g of carbohydrates, 13 g of fiber and 13 g of protein. One serving meets more than 50 percent of your daily value for fiber. The percent daily value is based on a 2,000-calorie diet for healthy adults. In addition, a serving of dried yellow split peas meets 15 percent of your daily value for iron.
DASH Diet
The DASH diet, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, is a diet designed to help lower blood pressure. It can help lower your blood pressure within two weeks of starting the diet, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. The diet is low in fat and sodium, and high in nutrients that help lower blood pressure including fiber, magnesium, potassium and calcium. The diet recommends you make foods like yellow peas a regular part of your meal plan to help meet your fiber and magnesium needs for blood pressure control. The diet suggests four to five servings of beans, nuts or seeds each week.
Cooking with Yellow Peas
Yellow peas can easily be added to your diet to help improve your blood pressure. They cook fairly quickly for beans, and can be ready in 30 to 40 minutes. Try adding yellow peas in place of your usual green split peas in your favorite split pea soup recipe to vary both flavor and color. Cooked yellow peas can also be mixed with rice for a colorful pea and rice side dish. Or you can eat the cooked peas by themselves seasoned with your favorite flavors such as lemon or ginger.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; High Blood Pressure Facts; March 2011
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute; High Blood Pressure, Blood Pressure Readings; November 2008
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute; Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure with DASH; 1998
- Bob's Red Mill: Yellow Split Peas
- MayoClinic.com; Percent Daily Value: What Does it Mean; Katherine Zeratsky; May 2010
