Hypertension, or high blood pressure, increases your risk for heart disease and stroke, but a healthy diet can improve your condition. Beets and celery provide nutrients for lowering blood pressure, and you can use them in recipes or as snacks. A nutritionist can work with you to develop a balanced meal plan for lowering your blood pressure.
Sodium
Celery and beets are low-sodium foods because they have less than 140 mg per serving, according to the Produce for Better Health Foundation. A high-sodium diet raises blood pressure, and individuals with hypertension should have no more than 1,500 mg per day, states the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Be careful about high-sodium products, such as tomato or vegetable juice made with celery, or canned or pickled beets.
Healthy Minerals
Celery has 263 mg potassium per cup, and beets have 442 mg. Increasing your intake of potassium from natural sources, such as vegetables, may lower your blood pressure, states the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy adults should get at least 4,700 mg per day. Magnesium is another mineral for healthy blood pressure, while beets have 31 mg or 8 percent of the daily value.
Fiber and Vitamin C
Beets have 3.8 g dietary fiber, while celery has 1.6 g per cup. Getting adequate dietary fiber may regulate your blood pressure. You should get about 25 to 38 g per day, the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center recommends. A high intake of vitamin C may lower high blood pressure, and beets have 7 mg vitamin C, or 11 percent of the daily value. A cup of celery has 3 mg vitamin C, or 5 percent of the daily value.
Additional Information
The DASH, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet is an eating pattern to reduce hypertension. Celery and beets count toward the four to five half-cup servings that you should get on a 2,000-calorie DASH diet. Maintaining or achieving a healthy weight can lower your blood pressure. A low-calorie diet can easily include celery, with 16 calories per cup, and beets, with 58 calories per cup.
References
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010; January 2010
- Produce for Better Health Foundation: Fruits and Veggies: More Matters: Best of: Sodium
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Dietary Fiber; Jane Higdon; December 2005
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Vitamin C; Jane Higdon; January 2006
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Vegetables and Vegetable Products
