You may not think about it, but many people have an elevated blood pressure, or hypertension. This means that the pressure of blood in the arteries is higher than normal.
Having high blood pressure can increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke, so it’s important to lower your numbers if you have this condition.
Fruits are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help your body function at its best. These nutrients can also help lower blood pressure naturally.
The American Heart Association recommends eating four to five servings of fruits and vegetables daily for optimal health. These foods are high in potassium, calcium and magnesium, which are all beneficial to maintaining normal blood pressure levels.
Foods that are high in potassium and low in sodium can help reduce high blood pressure. Potassium helps to control fluid balance and sodium causes fluid retention, so eating foods high in potassium helps to reduce the amount of sodium you take in and can help lower blood pressure.
Foods to avoid with high blood pressure include:
Red meat, bacon and processed meats – these have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer. Replace red meat with fish, chicken or vegetarian options instead.
High-fat dairy products – such as cheese, milk and cream – increase the amount of saturated fat in your diet which can increase cholesterol levels which may increase your risk of cardiovascular disease if you have high cholesterol (see below). Choose low-fat versions or try other dairy options such as yoghurt instead. If you’re lactose intolerant, try lactose free milk products or soy milk as an alternative source of calcium.
Sugar sweetened drinks – sugary drinks such as cola contain lots of sugar which can raise blood glucose levels which may affect
High blood pressure food to avoid
High blood pressure can be a serious condition that can lead to heart disease and stroke. Here are some high blood pressure foods to avoid:
Salt: Salt raises your blood pressure because it increases the amount of fluid in your body. The extra fluid makes your heart work harder to pump blood through your body, raising your blood pressure.
Fatty foods: Fatty foods are packed with calories, which can cause weight gain, especially if you eat them often. Overweight individuals tend to have higher blood pressure than those who weigh less.
Processed meats: Processed meats include bacon, sausage, ham and hot dogs. These meats may increase risk for heart disease and cancer, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
Alcohol: Drinking too much alcohol can lead to high blood pressure as well as other health problems including liver damage and memory loss. Alcohol also disrupts sleep patterns, which is important for keeping stress levels under control.
Fruits that will lower blood pressure
High blood pressure is a serious health issue. It’s one of the major risk factors for stroke, heart attack and heart failure. High blood pressure can also cause vision loss and kidney failure.
Eating fruits and vegetables regularly is good for your health because they’re high in fiber, vitamins and minerals, which help reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer. Fruits and vegetables also contain antioxidants that may help prevent certain types of cancer.
If you have high blood pressure, you might be concerned about how certain fruits could affect your condition. The good news is that most fruits are low in sodium (salt) and fat, which makes them ideal for those with high blood pressure or who are trying to lose weight.
However, some fruits can cause side effects if you have high blood pressure. This article lists some foods that may be problematic when eaten by someone with this condition:
Fruits that will lower blood pressure
High blood pressure is a common condition – around half of all adults have it to some extent. It’s usually measured as the amount of force your heart has to put on your arteries to push blood through them. This force can cause damage to your arteries, increasing your risk of heart disease and stroke. High blood pressure is often referred to as the ‘silent killer’ because many people don’t realise they have it until it causes serious health problems.
The good news is that there are lots of ways you can reduce your risk of high blood pressure with simple lifestyle changes, like eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and losing weight if you’re overweight. Here we look at some fruit that can help lower blood pressure naturally and how much of them you should be eating each day:
Citrus fruits
citrus fruits (such as oranges, grapefruit and mandarins) contain vitamin C which helps keep your arteries clear by preventing build-up of cholesterol deposits on their walls. They also contain potassium which helps control fluid balance in your body. Just one orange contains more than 100mg of vitamin C – that’s almost half our RDA for this important nutrient!
1. Grapefruit
2. Orange juice
3. Pears
4. Bananas
5. Peanuts (not peanut butter)
6. Salmon
7. Watermelon
8. Avocados
Grapefruit is a citrus fruit that has been shown to lower blood pressure.
How fast does grapefruit lower blood pressure?
Grapefruit can help lower your blood pressure. However, it’s important to note that not all grapefruits have the same effect on blood pressure. Red grapefruits are the best for lowering high blood pressure, while white grapefruits may actually raise it.
In addition to lowering your blood pressure, grapefruits are also an excellent source of vitamin C and antioxidants. They’re also a good source of potassium, which is good for regulating fluids in your body.
Can lemon lower blood pressure immediately?
Lemons can help to lower your blood pressure by increasing the amount of water you drink each day. Drinking enough water helps keep your kidneys healthy and removes excess sodium from your body through urine production.
Grapefruit is considered a high-blood-pressure food because it contains a compound called naringin, which can cause the body to retain water and raise blood pressure.
However, grapefruit may be safe for people with normal blood pressure to eat in moderation. And if you have high blood pressure, you can use grapefruit as medicine.
Grapefruit and Blood Pressure: The Research
In one study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food in 2012, researchers looked at the effects of naringin on rats who were fed a high-fat diet for eight weeks. They found that naringin reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. In another study from 2009, when researchers gave grapefruit juice to volunteers with normal blood pressure, they found that it lowered both systolic and diastolic blood pressure by an average of 6 mm Hg after four hours and by 10 mm Hg after 24 hours.
A 2006 study also found that drinking grapefruit juice could lower blood pressure in people with high blood pressure over time (but not immediately). When participants drank 3 cups of grapefruit juice per day for three weeks, their systolic blood pressures fell by an average of 8 mm Hg compared to when they didn’t drink any
One of the biggest issues with high blood pressure is that it can be caused by lifestyle habits, such as poor diet and physical inactivity. But it can also be caused by a number of underlying health conditions and diseases, including kidney disease, heart disease and diabetes.
Grapefruits are rich in vitamin C, which helps protect your body from free radicals and other harmful substances that can damage cells, tissues and organs. Vitamin C also helps regulate blood pressure levels by preventing damage to the walls of your arteries.
This fruit contains potassium, which helps keep your heart beating regularly and efficiently. Potassium also helps reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by lowering blood pressure levels and reducing the risks associated with high cholesterol levels.
Grapefruit juice contains pectin fiber that may help reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) while increasing good cholesterol (HDL). This may help prevent heart attacks caused by blocked arteries or strokes due to blood clots in the brain.
The citric acid found in grapefruit can help lower your risk of developing kidney stones because it prevents calcium oxalate crystals from forming within the kidneys.
Grapefruit is high in vitamin C, which helps the body produce collagen. Collagen is important in maintaining healthy skin and connective tissues.
Grapefruit contains phytochemicals, including limonoids, which have been shown to lower blood pressure. The limonoid naringenin was also shown to help prevent atherosclerosis in a study of rabbits with high cholesterol.
The website of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommends limiting grapefruit consumption to half a grapefruit per day because of its potential for interactions with certain medications. The website also says that people who are allergic to citrus should avoid eating grapefruit altogether.
What foods can you eat if you have high blood pressure?
High blood pressure (hypertension) is a major cause of heart disease and stroke. It’s the number one modifiable risk factor for stroke. High blood pressure doesn’t have any symptoms, so it’s important to get tested regularly by your doctor.
The DASH diet focuses on lowering sodium and reducing total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol intake. The DASH diet also emphasizes increasing intake of fruits and vegetables while limiting sugar-sweetened foods.