Blood Pressure – An Introduction

High blood pressure (BP) has become a common problem these days. The busy competitive schedules, tight deadlines, racing for money and various everyday struggles slowly build up stress which further leads to high blood pressure in the long run. According to a study, almost 1/3rd of Americans and more than 5 millions of British are suffering from high BP . While this is a data for just two places, other countries like India, China, Japan and many more also are not untouched from this risky disease.

The blood in our body exerts pressure or force on the walls of our blood vessels. When this force is too high then the state is known as High Blood Pressure. High BP can cause a heart attack, create blood clots in arteries, block blood flow in the brain and can invite various other hazardous diseases like kidney disease, dementia, etc. Too much salt intake, being overweight, excessive smoking, a lot of stress, lack of physical exercise, genetics, and old age are some of the main causes of high blood pressure or hypertension.

High blood pressure can be identified by some chief symptoms, like, frequent headaches, nosebleeds, the presence of blood in urine, difficulty in breathing, pain in the chest, and faintness. However, the good fact to mention about hypertension is that it can be controlled well with few good changes in your lifestyle and by eating foods that lower BP (blood pressure). By sticking to a high blood pressure diet you can get satisfactory results in some time.

5 Amazing Foods that Help Reduce High Blood Pressure

Nature has gifted us with amazingly healthy foods that can be included in our diet to achieve positive health results. Foods that particularly helpful in bringing down the level of high blood pressure can basically be divided into three categories including vegetables, fruits and, wholegrain.

Vegetables that can surprisingly help us to control blood pressure include the following:

1. Tomato – Enriched with vitamin A and vitamin C, tomatoes help treat many skins, eye, and respiration-related problems. They also strengthen our immune system. Tomatoes are a great option when it comes to dealing with cardiovascular problems. They contain a rich amount of potassium. This mineral helps control fluids in our body. Potassium does not let the bad cholesterol stick to our artery walls. Remember, cholesterol sticking to the artery walls leads to fat accumulation in our arteries. This further leads to increased blood pressure. By eating tomatoes, you get potassium in your body that keeps your blood pressure under control. Being low in calories, tomatoes also help you gain a healthy body weight.
2. Carrot – Carrots are a great source of pectin (calcium pectate), a fiber content that takes care of our digestion in a proper way. The pectin sticks to our stomach's bile and aids in flushing it; thereby, preventing plaque and cholesterol from building up in our arteries. In simple words, eating carrots is good for the health of your arteries and healthy arteries simply mean low blood pressure. Also, carrots are natural sources of getting one of the best antioxidants – Beta Carotene. This antioxidant combats any cell damage caused by free radicals. It is an important factor to mention that our blood contains many free radicals which damage cells, especially the ones that line the walls of our arteries.
3. Broccoli – Broccoli has been rightly counted as one of the best foods that lower blood pressure. This green vegetable contains a compound called glucosinolate which produces sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is a metabolite that helps control the blood pressure. It also helps enhances the function of kidney. Broccoli is a wonderful source of minerals that help reduce blood pressure at a significant level. These minerals include potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
4. Apple – Apples have amazing fiber content that works wonders for bringing down your high levels of blood pressure. Every apple gives you approximately 4.5 gm of BP lowering fiber. Apples contain OPC quercetin (Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins - a plant flavonoid) which is a natural supplement for reducing blood pressure
5. Cherry – Make cherries a part of your daily eating routine and stay happy at your controlled and healthy blood pressure. Cherries have vitamin C, fiber, and quercetin which are considered great for lowering blood pressure. According to a recent research from Northumbria University, men with initial signs of high blood pressure showed 7% reduction when they consumed pure cherry juice in comparison with other fruit drink.
6. Oatmeal - Oat Grain foods like oatmeal also help lower blood pressure. It is rich in fiber and grains are full with grain kernel. Oatmeal items contain a significant amount of potassium, iron, selenium, folate, fiber, protein and other nutrients that help bring down the level of blood pressure. Few examples of wholegrain foods that lower blood pressure includes oatmeal, oat bran, whole grain bread, brown rice, etc.

Here are some food and beverage tips for low blood pressure

1. Limit your alcoholic beverages.
2. Take organic food only and limit your diet as per doctor ask you.
3. If it is hot weather then try to drink liquid fluids as much as you can.
4. Enhance taste and look by adding apple pieces to tuna or chicken salad.
5. Include oatmeal in your breakfast. It takes just 2-3 minutes to prepare this healthy breakfast.
6. Prepare a mix fruit salad that contains all good-for-blood pressure fruits like mangoes, bananas, cherries and, apples.
7. Broccoli, tomatoes and brown rice are good foods to lower blood pressure. The combo of - these three will keep your blood pressure under control. Grab these as much as you can.