Looking for a diet to help lower blood pressure? Follow the DASH diet plan developed and tested by the Harvard researchers. Of all diets to lower blood pressure, this one is the easiest to adjust to. It also works fast.
The DASH diet for hypertension
DASH stands for “DIETARY APPROACHES TO STOP HYPERTENSION”. This diet for high blood pressure showed conclusively that eating more low-fat dairy foods, fruits and vegetables helps to lower blood pressure. The Dash diet does it by emphasizing foods that lower blood pressure and are low in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol.
Previous research tried to achieve the same result with individual nutrients and vitamins, and has failed to prove their effectiveness. DASH diet experiment has proven that foods that lower blood pressure act far more effectively than individual nutrients.
Wondering, “What foods can I eat to lower my blood pressure?” If you want to lower your blood pressure quickly, consider Dash diet plan combined with the low sodium intake. Low sodium diet for hypertension requires Consuming maximum one and a quarter teaspoons of salt per day, which is equivalent to 1,500 mg. This is well below the government’s recommended daily intake of 2,400 mg. Patients who used this plan has reduced their blood pressure by as much as 11 mm.Hg! They have achieved this improvement in just 21 days!
The DASH diet action plan
To follow DASH diet effectively, you need to learn basic food groups and size of portions. Sedentary males and active females need to follow 2000 calorie DASH diet. Women who want to lose weight need to follow 1200 or 1600 calorie DASH diet for weight loss. Once you chose your calorie allotment, choose your DASH diet recipes.
2000 calorie DASH diet
2000 calorie DASH diet consists of the foods that lower blood pressure, split into the groups according to their high blood pressure lowering effects:
- Grains and grain products: 7-8 portions, for energy and fiber
- Vegetables: 4-5 portions, for Potassium, Magnesium, and fiber
- Fruits: 4-5 portions, for Potassium, Magnesium, and fiber
- Low fat or fat free dairy foods: 2-3 portions, for Calcium and protein
- Lean meat, poultry and fish: no more than 2 portions, for Magnesium and protein
- Nuts, seeds and dry beans: 4-5 per week, for energy, Potassium, Magnesium, and fiber
- Fats and Oils: 2-3 servings. DASH has 27% of energy from fat, either naturally occurring in foods or added
- Sweets: 5 portions per week, not combined with fats. One tbsp of sugar is one portion.
If you are looking for 1600 calorie DASH diet or 1200 calorie DASH diet, please adjust these portions accordingly.
1600 calorie DASH diet
For 1600 calorie DASH diet, eat 4 portions instead of 5, 1.5 – 2.4 portions instead of 3, and 6-6.5 portions instead of 7-8.
1200 calorie DASH diet
For 1200 calorie DASH diet, eat 2.5-3 portions where 2000 calorie dash diet calls for 4-5 ( fruits and vegetables), 4.5 portions of grains, only 3 portions of sweets and 1.5 portions of oils.
You can safely use DASH diet for weight loss, which will also be beneficial to lower your blood pressure.
DASH diet guidelines and tips
Drs. Frank M. Sacks and Hanna Campos from Harvard School of Public Health offer the following practical tips how to lower blood pressure with the DASH diet based on the evidence collected during the Harvard trials, (June 3, 2010, New England Journal of Medicine)
- Choose low-sodium foods whenever possible; use herbs, spices, vinegar, and other low-sodium flavorings instead of salt.
- Eat fruit instead of drinking fruit juice.
- Eat more poultry, fish, nuts, and legumes (beans) and less red meat.
- Choose low-fat or nonfat milk and other dairy products instead of full-fat versions.
- Turn to vegetables and fruits instead of sugary or salty snacks and desserts.
- Select breads, pasta, and other carbohydrate-rich foods that are made from whole grains instead of highly refined white flour.
- Use unsaturated fats like olive, canola, soybean, peanut, corn, or safflower oils instead of butter, coconut oil, or palm-kernel oil.
- Rely on fresh or frozen foods instead of canned and processed foods.
- Don’t skip meals; try to eat one-third of your calories at breakfast.
- If you need help, record everything that you eat day by day for a week. Have this information reviewed by a dietitian.
What can I do to lower my blood pressure?
The DASH diet is highly recommended to anyone who is ready to use diet to lower blood pressure, especially people with pre-hypertension, whose systolic number is between 120 and 140 mm.Hg . This is because it can help them avoid using hypertensive drugs. DASH diet plan for hypertension is one of the most well-researched, proven approaches to using foods to lower blood pressure. It has proven that foods that lower blood pressure act far more effectively than individual nutrients.
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I heard that celery lowers blood pressure and decided to research this topic as I didn’t particularly like eating celery, but did not enjoy being hypertensive even more. I found that through the years, celery has been widely used for its amazing health benefits. Celery naturally lowers blood pressure because it contains substances that are effective and acts on the cardiovascular, endocrine, and renal system to regulate your blood pressure. Many researchers and medical practitioners recommend the use of celery to lower blood pressure because it has been proven effective for so many years.
How does celery lower your blood pressure?
Celery contains substances that naturally act on your system to lower your blood pressure. Celery is rich in apigenin and 3-n-butylpthalide. Apigenin which is also found in another vegetables works to dilate the blood vessels and pthalide works to relax the smooth muscles in the blood vessels. Hence, celery works to lower blood pressure by acting as a vasodilator and muscle relaxant which are beneficial to maintain a normal blood pressure reading.
Using celery to lower blood pressure has also been effective due to its rich potassium content. Potassium is needed to keep a healthy cardiovascular system. There must be enough potassium in your blood and it should be kept at a normal level to maintain the electrical activity of the heart at a normal pace. The electrical activity of the heart once altered will cause changes in your system that is detrimental. Celery gives enough nutritional supplement of potassium which has been used also to lower blood pressure or to keep it within normal limits.
According to many researchers, celery lowers the blood pressure by acting as a diuretic. Most antihypertensive medications act as diuretic to keep a normal blood volume which is necessary in maintaining a normal blood pressure. It acts to stimulate the endocrine and renal system to release excess amount of water from your body.
The perfect combination of potassium and sodium found in celery makes it a perfect natural diuretic. It is safe to use because it has a 3:1 potassium sodium ratio which means it will stimulate diuresis or urination but will not cause excessive loss of potassium from the system. This makes celery one of the most effective supplements to lower blood pressure.
A high blood pressure has been attributed with high salt diet. Hypertensive clients and those who are at risk are also advised to maintain a low salt diet to control episodes of hypertension. Celery is a good salt replacement. But to effectively use celery to lower blood pressure or maintain a normal blood pressure, a portion a day is enough because if taken in large amount, it can also be toxic in your system.
A research study done at the University of Chicago is another proof that celery lowers blood pressure. In this study, a group of animals were given daily supplements of celery to consume and they manifested a lower blood pressure than the group of animals that were not given a nutritional supplement of celery.
The use of celery to lower the blood pressure is safe and effective for people who need to maintain a low salt diet. Its salty taste when combined with other fresh vegetables to make a salad gives a satisfying taste and you may need not to add more salt and other spices.
There are a lot of health benefits a portion of celery provides. Many people now use celery, to keep blood pressure at a lower level or within the normal range. It is therefore recommended that it should be taken fresh because like other vegetables, when cooked, the amount of sodium and potassium content can be altered.
In summary, celery lowers the blood pressure having the same action and mechanism antihypertensive does. It acts as a vasodilator and diuretic. However, like any other antihypertensive medications, excessive amounts of celery can be not so beneficial for you. Hence, consult your physician before using it as a supplement.
Watermelon is one of the tasty foods that lower blood pressure. Its blood pressure lowering qualities were known, but not scientifically proven. This is until Florida State University pilot study was conducted in 2010, and proved that it can be very effective against prehypertension. Only four men and five women aged 51-57 were a part of this pilot, so further studies are required to prove effectiveness of the watermelon. However, the result of this study was “improved arterial function and consequently lowered aortic blood pressure in all nine of their prehypertensive subjects!” And none of them suffered from any adverse reactions.
Watermelon Lowers Blood Pressure
How does watermelon work to lower blood pressure?
“Watermelon is the richest edible natural source of L-citrulline, which is closely related to L-arginine, the amino acid required for the formation of nitric oxide essential to the regulation of vascular tone and healthy blood pressure,” FSU Professor Arturo Figueroa said.
If you never heard of nitric oxide, this is a gas that gets produced as a result of consumption of certain foods, the most famous one being garlic, and relaxes blood vessels.
Interestingly enough, L-arginine supplement is not nearly as well tolerated by the body as simple watermelon.
“Individuals with increased blood pressure and arterial stiffness — especially those who are older and those with chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes — would benefit from L-citrulline in either the synthetic or natural (watermelon) form,” Figueroa said. “The optimal dose appears to be four to six grams a day.”
Watermelon nutritional facts
Watermelon contains decent amounts of Vitamin A,C, minerals Magnesium, Potassium and Manganese. It contains 90% water, so it can hydrate and cleanse your system ( be careful of you have kidney disorders though.). It contains lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that can also be extracted from tomatoes.
It’s too bad that it also contains high levels of pesticides which makes it not very desirable to eat in big amounts.
Watermelon recipes
Watermelon is widely used in cooking. I have found such unexpected recipes like watermelon salsa, watermelon soup, watermelon drink and watermelon salad recipe. You’d need to eat a lot of these meals to reduce your blood pressure, you will practically need a watermelon diet.
So instead of going to such extreme, try a balanced diet, where watermelon is an important, but not the only one, food that lower blood pressure.
References:
Read the details of the study at the FSU study results webpage.
Looking for foods that lower blood pressure? Eating the right foods is one of the most powerful ways to lower your blood pressure naturally. There are super foods so powerful that they can not only reduce your blood pressure in two weeks, but also lower blood cholesterol, improve your sleep and reduce your headaches.
What makes one food superior to another in lowering your blood pressure? Proper balance of nutrients that works to lower blood pressure naturally. As a high blood pressure sufferer, you want your food to contain elements that balance Sodium, and you want to
reduce sodium as much as possible, preferrably under 1000 mg of daily intake. And not only that. Foods that contain Potassium, Magnesium and Calcium, foods that act like diuretics and food that make your arterioles walls flexible again are top super foods that lower blood pressure.
There are foods that you should NOT eat of you suffer from high blood pressure. You will want to cut out sugar and most fats, which contribute to your hypertension because they increase inflammation and harden your arteries.
Right now, let’s look at the list of champions-the top super foods that lower blood pressure.
#1. Sprouts are one of the top healthy foods that lower blood pressure
Broccoli, Wheatgrass, Alfalfa, Sunflower, Beans
Sprouts contain an antioxidant called glucoraphanin that has demonstrated its ability to lower blood pressure and risks of stoke and heart attack. In the scientific experiments, rats were fed a glucoraphanin-rich diet. It lowered inflammatory response and improved cardiovascular health as was demonstrated by decreased blood pressure and decreased inflammation in the heart, arteries and kidneys.
So sprouts will not only lower your blood pressure naturally, but also work to prevent heart attack and stroke.
At the sprouting stage of growth, plants have the highest concentration of proteins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants,
anti-carcinogens, vitamins and minerals.
Sprouts are the most economical and nutritious food.
Home grown organic sprouts are the best. Although some people would say it is too much effort to grow sprouts at home, they should realize that in order to get the best result, one always should go an extra mile. If you grow organic sprouts at home, they get to your table without losing any nutritional value. At the same time, commercial, conventionally grown foods not only have about 14-20% less nutrients than organic ones. Both organic and non-organic foods lose 50% more of their nutritional value on their way to your dinner table. You can buy a small sprouter and organic broccoli seeds and start protecting yourself from effects of teh high bllod pressure… and from cancer, too!
#2. Green leafy vegetables provide the most vitamins at low cost
Kale,Swiss chard, dandelion, bok choy, spinach, collard greens,
mustard greens.
Green leafy vegetables provide completely absorbable, balanced protein packaged together with antioxidants that lower blood
pressure. For very few calories, you also get lots of vitamins, minerals, and all sorts of enzymes. These Kale recipes and healthy greens recipes will help you start eating more greens.
You may resist the idea of eating more greens because they just taste bitter. Bitterness is the demonstration of the presence of
antioxidants. Start small, and put some greens into your salads and smoothies. After eating greens for about two weeks, your taste buds readjust themselves. Many people actually start craving greens – their body, given a choice, craves super foods rather than empty food.
#3. Herbs that lower blood pressure
Ginger, garlic and chives, cayenne pepper, valerian root, kava kava, cinnamon…
The benefits of herbs for the human health are remarkable and that is why herbal medicine was used for centuries for many maladies, including high blood pressure. What are the easy way to use them every day? Here are some ideas for you:
- Add a dash of cinnamon to you morning cereal.
- Use more garlic in your cooking. Garlic is on of the best researched super foods that lower bloods pressure naturally.
Get herbal tea that contain valerian root. It calms down your nerves and this relaxation reduces hypertension.
Celery, Broccoli, rapini, cabbage, asparagus, carrots, cauliflower, beets,
onion, garlic.
One of the most important health benefit of celery is its role as a diuretic.
Although it is made up of 90% water and is high in Sodium, celery helps rid the body of excess fluid by stimulating urine production with the right combination of Sodium and Potassium.
A study published in HYPERTENSION (March 2008) indicated that drinking just two cups of beet juice a day lowered blood pressure by approximately 10 points. This puts beet juice was on par with results from many antihypertesive medications.
Garlic is most famous for its potent anti-inflammatory and antiviral benefits, but it’s ability to fight coronary heart disease by
unplugging arteries is also amazing. The gas that is produced in the stomach as garlic gets processed relaxes youe arteries and lowers blood pressure.
#5. Fruit is the ultimate healthy snack and a part of the DASH diet.
Apples, plums, pears, banana, pomegranate, mango, etc.
Fruit provide fructose mixed with a healthy dose of fiber, vitamins, and critically important minerals such As Potassium and Magnesium. Apple cider vinegar is known as one of the top home remedies to lower your high blood pressure.
Dried plums, also known as prunes, are one of the top two antioxidant foods. Pomegranate is a top runner up for the antioxidant
crown,too. One banana a day can provide a dose of potassium, helping to reduce blood pressure and fend off cardiovascular disease.
#6. Nuts and seeds provide protein and healthy fats
Almond (and almond milk) , Brazil nuts, cashews, walnuts, pine nuts
Almonds, for example, are very high in good protein, they help against diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This small potent nut is capable of lessening after-meal surges of blood sugar, lowering cholesterol and protecting against arteriosclerosis.
Flax, chia, sesame, pumpkin seeds
I add ground flaxseed to my baking, dehydrated crackers and healthy smoothies.
Not only it acts as an egg replacer and increases vitamins absorbtion, but also provides enough omega-3 for a day to keep your brain going.
#7. Whole Grains and beans provide protein, potassium, and fibre
Quinoa, oats, brown rice, amaranth, buckwheat, millet and beans
Quinoa is an excellent protein-rich food. It consists of about 20% of complete protein; it is high in lysine and is a good source of iron, B vitamins and potassium. You want Potassium in your diet to balance harmful effects that extra Sodium does to your blood pressure. Remember, there are two ways to reduce impact of Sodium on your blood pressure: Reduce Sodium and Increase Potassium and Magnesium in your diet.
#8. Berries come packed in antioxidants
Blueberries, cranberry, acai
Berries reduce inflammation in the body and relax arteries, both of these effects help to lower your blood pressure.
Blueberry is probably the most advertised berry. It provides an array of health benefits due to its antioxidant content.
#9. Seaweeds are #1 in minerals competition
Kelp, kombu, nori, arame, wakame, chlorella
Chlorella is nature’s top energy food. It provides all essential amino acids in perfect ratios, and is often used to prevent
or curb the spread of cancer, enhance immunity, promote a good balance of bacteria in the gut, and lower blood cholesterol.
Kombu increases digestability of beans; it also acts as an antidote to excess sodium consumption and it is known to reduce blood cholesterol and hypertension. Use kombu in a miso soup.
Unassuming miso soup is a powerful natural remedy to many health issues.
#10 Fats
Flax oil, Olive oil, hemp oil.
It seems counterintuitive to place fats into top ten healthy foods, but you absolutely need some fat in your diet. Certain fats are
vitally important for the body, both saturated and unsaturated. Omega-3 fats are essential to brain function. Saturated fats are needed to build cellular membranes throughout the whole body. Don’t exclude fats from your diet, but use moderation and choose the best.
To lower your blood pressure, it is essential to switch to a low-fat diet. Aim for fats naturally present in foods, such as flax seed and avocado. Avoid all hydrogenated or trans fats, reduce saturated fat.
Add a teaspoon of flax or hemp oil to your salads or healthy smoothies.
Some vitamins, for example, Vitamin A, are oil-soluble. In other words, your body will not absorb them unless they come with some form of oil. Adding flax oil or flaxseed to your smoothie will not alter the taste, but increase nutritional value of it.
