It can be difficult to make good food choices when living with hypertension. But you can do more than just eliminate food from your diet to improve your condition. By adding foods that have components and nutrients to combat high blood pressure, staying healthy can be a lot easier.
Spinach
According to research presented at the American Heart Association's 58th Annual High Blood Pressure Research Conference, "women who consume more than 800 mg of folate per day can reduce their risk of developing high blood pressure by almost a third compared to those who consume less than 200 mg." Spinach is an excellent source of folate. Spinach also contains magnesium, a mineral that assists in lowering blood pressure.
Dark Chocolate
A sweeter option for lowering blood pressure is dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is full of antioxidants, which assist in lowering blood pressure.
Baked Potato
Potatoes are packed with potassium, a nutrient that helps to regulate the correct sodium levels in the body. Too much sodium has an adverse effect on blood pressure, so maintaining low sodium levels is beneficial.
Celery
Celery is a good choice to include in your diet to combat hypertension. Celery contains phthalide, a compound that relaxes muscles in the blood vessel walls, which causes them to dilate, making it easier for blood to flow. Phthalide also reduces stress hormones called catecholamines, lowering the risk of hypertension.
Onion
Onions contain quercetin, which is a chemical compound that has properties that reduce hypertension. Quercetin limits the production of angiotensin II, a chemical that constricts blood vessels and causes increased blood pressure.
Garlic
Garlic contains properties that are very instrumental in reducing high blood pressure. Garlic has natural ACE inhibitors. Garlic also contains phosphorus, adenosine, allicin and sulfur, all of which widen the arteries so that blood can flow easier.
