Whether you are trying to maintain a healthy blood pressure or you want lower your high blood pressure, you may be able to use mustard to achieve your goals. Mustard greens, seeds and prepared mustard each provide potential benefits for your blood pressure if you eat them in moderation with other healthy foods. Many other factors affect your blood pressure, so it is important to talk to your doctor about your concerns.
Low-Sodium Benefits
Recommendations are to reduce sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg if you are a healthy adult, or to no more than 1,500 mg if you have high blood pressure. Each 1 tbsp. of ground mustard seeds has only 1 mg sodium, and prepared yellow mustard has 57 mg in 1 tbsp. Mustard is a low-sodium alternative for flavoring your food compared to salt or salty sauces.
Weight Control
Obesity increases your risk for high blood pressure or can prevent you from achieving a healthy blood pressure range. You can lose a few pounds and improve your blood pressure by limiting your calorie intake, and raw mustard greens can be a base for a low-calorie salad, side dish or cooking ingredient with only 15 calories in 1 cup. Prepared mustard has only 3 calories in 1 tsp., so it is a low-calorie condiment compared to mayonnaise. You can also add it instead of butter or cream sauce at the table.
Potassium
Potassium is an essential mineral for regulating blood pressure, and healthy adults should get at least 4,700 mg per day. A 1 cup serving of raw mustard greens provides 198 mg potassium, and 1 tbsp. of ground mustard seeds has 46 mg. To increase your intake of potassium, you can eat mustard with high-potassium foods, such as having a salad with mustard greens and garbanzo beans, or adding mustard seed to a stew with vegetables and fish.
Calcium and Vitamin C
Mustard greens provide 58 mg calcium, or 6 percent of the daily value, in 1 cup. Although mustard greens are a nondairy source of calcium, your body is still able to absorb it relatively well, notes the Linus Pauling Institute. Calcium is necessary for maintaining a healthy blood pressure. A high intake of vitamin C may lower your blood pressure if it is already high, and mustard greens have 39 mg, or 65 percent of the daily value.
References
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Spices and Herbs
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Vegetables and Vegetable Products
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010; January 2011
- MayoClinic.com; High Blood Pressure (Hypertension); March 2011
- Linus Pauling Institute; Calcium; Jane Higdon; April 2003
- Linus Pauling Institute; Vitamin C; Jane Higdon; January 2006
