List of Foods That Lower Blood Pressure naturally

Food plays a very important role for our health. For any disease, we have to take care of our diet as every food has unique qualities to reduce our health problem. Like all health problem solutions, we have lots of foods to reduce high blood pressure.

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is one of the major risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke. It is sometimes called "the silent killer," due to the fact that it usually does not give any early warning signs. Check your blood pressure[link]

Two main risk factors of Hypertension are salt and weight and to reduce it, we have to choose food that helps lower blood pressure. First we have to maintain our weight with 2,400 mg salt.

Average blood Pressure

• For young people: 120/80 mmHg
• For old people: 140/90 mmHg

Most Beneficial Vegetables and Spices for Hypertension

There are many vegetables and spices to control hypertension. Here are some foods to lower high blood pressure.

Celery: Celery is best for lowering high blood pressure. There are some experimental evidence that shows that celery is useful for this. Eating as few as four celery stalks are beneficial in lowering blood pressure in human beings.

Garlic: Garlic is a wonder drug for heart. It has beneficial effects in all cardiovascular system including blood pressure. In a study, when people with high blood pressure were given one clove of garlic a day for 12 weeks, their diastolic blood pressure and cholesterol levels were significantly reduced. Eating quantities as small as one clove of garlic a day is beneficial way to manage hypertension. Use garlic in your cooking, salad, soup, pickles, etc.

Onion: Onions are useful in hypertension. Two to three tablespoons of onion essential oil a day was found to lower the systolic levels by an average of 25 points and the diastolic levels by 15 points in hypertension.

Tomato: Tomatoes are high in gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), a compound that can help bring down blood pressure.

Broccoli: This vegetable contains several active ingredients that reduce blood pressure.

Carrot: Carrots also contain several compounds that lower blood pressure.

Saffron: Saffron contains a chemical called Crocetin that lowers the blood pressure. You can use saffron in your cooking and also make a tea from it.

Assorted spices: The spices like fennel, oregano, black pepper, basil and tarragon which have active ingredients, are beneficial in hypertension.

All of the below items represent an excellent choice of food to reduce high blood pressure and can be eaten frequently

• Lean cuts of meat.
• Chicken and turkey (as long as the skin is removed).
• Fresh or frozen fish.
• Skimmed milk. (Semi-skimmed milk is fine in small quantities such as adding it to tea.)
• Loaf breads, dinner rolls, English muffins, bagels and pita bread.
• Cereals, as long as they are 'low sodium' varieties.
• Plain rice and noodles.
• Fresh or frozen vegetables and canned vegetable which have not had salt added.
• Fruit.
• Soups which are low in sodium.
• Margarine and vegetable oils.
• Spices, herbs and flavorings such as parsley, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, vinegar and fruit juices.

High blood pressure diet foods which should be avoided or eaten in very limited quantities are:

• Smoked or cured meats such as bacon, hot dogs, bologna, corned beef, ham, luncheon meats and sausage.
• Canned fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel. If you do eat fish canned in brine or salted water you should rinse it thoroughly before eating.
• Buttermilk (high in sodium).
• Cheese and cheese spreads.
• Salty snacks such as potato chips, pretzels, nuts and pork rinds (scratchings).
• Quick cooking rice, instant noodles and prepared quick meals such as frozen diners, pot pies and pizza. If you are using these foods, then you should check the nutrition information on the label and choose varieties which are low in sodium.
• Regular canned vegetables. If you do eat vegetables canned in brine or salted water you should rinse them thoroughly before eating.
• Pickled foods such as relish, pickles, olives, sauerkraut and herrings.
• Regular canned soups and instant soups.
• Ketchup, soy sauce, steak sauce, barbecue sauce, garlic salt, onion salt, bouillon cubes, meat tenderizer and monosodium glutamate.

The healthier eating plan chart contains foods of 2,000 calories a day for Hypertension patients

* Serving sizes vary between 1/2 -1.25 cups. Check the product's nutrition label.

** Fat content changes serving counts for fats and oils: For example, 1 tablespoon of regular salad dressing equals 1 serving; 1 tablespoon of a low fat dressing equals 1/2 serving; 1 tablespoon of a fat free dressing equals 0 servings.

Source: National Institutes of Health