Blood Pressure: Did you know that 26% of all adults in the world suffer from hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure?
This condition is often called “the silent killer” because it can creep up on you without giving any signs or symptoms. If left untreated, the uncontrolled pressure causes the arteries to become stiff and rigid, which blocks the normal blood flow around your body, and can lead to a heart attack or a stroke.
The extra pressure also makes your heart work harder which causes the walls of the heart’s pumping chamber to get thicker. Eventually, a thickened heart muscle can become too stiff to fill the heart with blood, triggering sudden heart failure and death.
With this in mind, today we will be exploring 12 of the best foods that lower blood pressure naturally.
Eating these on a regular basis will supply the important nutrients that the body needs to both prevent high blood pressure and help treat it.
Be sure to read until the end, because some of these may surprise you.
– 12 Foods That Lower Blood Pressure Naturally:
1. Avocados.
The first food on our list is avocados. One of the main causes of high blood pressure is holding too much fluid in the body which puts pressure on your arteries, veins, and heart.
This is why doctors often recommend going on a low-sodium diet because salty foods can cause your cells to hold more water, which creates higher blood pressure.
A better solution to this problem is getting more potassium in your diet from healthy foods like avocados.
Avocado on average contains an enormous 975mg of potassium,
which helps to balance out the negative of salt by releasing excess fluid trapped in your cells.
If that’s not enough for you, avocados also contain high amounts of magnesium and oleic acid which both strengthen the heart and lower the risk of stroke, heart attack, or cardiovascular disease.
2. Beets.
Over the age of 40, people in general good health have about a 50% percent chance of developing atherosclerosis. This is where the arteries become thickened and hardened caused by a build-up of plaque on the artery walls.
This restricts normal blood flow through the body creating high blood pressure. Eating foods that are rich in nitrates, however, can help your body produce nitric oxide which dilates and opens the blood vessels.
Beets are one of nature’s best sources of these nitrates which naturally improve blood flow and help keep your blood pressure in the normal range.
3. Peppermint.
When you experience mental stress or fear from financial concerns,
people stress or obligations then your body starts releasing a hormone called cortisol.
Cortisol is known as the stress hormone which raises your blood pressure because it puts your body into the ‘fight or flight state’ Long-term stress and high cortisol have been shown to increase blood cholesterol, blood sugars, and blood pressure which can cause the hardening of the arteries.
To help manage your stress levels, start drinking 2-3 cups of peppermint tea per day.
Peppermint helps to soothe stress, anxiety, and nervous tension in the body because it’s loaded with Rosmarinic acid, a phytonutrient that can trigger neurotransmitters in your brain that calm your nervous system down (GABA).
This can naturally reduce your blood pressure if stress is a prominent problem in your life.
4. Salmon.
You’ve probably often heard about how fatty fish are an excellent source of active omega-3 fats, including EPA and DHA.
Studies show that eating more omega-3s from healthy food sources naturally lowers inflammation in the body, resulting in normalized blood pressure and a healthier cardiovascular system.
Wild salmon, sardines, herring, pilchards, and mackerel are all excellent sources of omega 3-s. Salmon however is particularly special because it’s also loaded with potassium, the electrolyte mineral that keeps the heart beating regularly And reduces fluid retention.
5. Pumpkin Seeds.
Eating a handful of pumpkin seeds each day is another excellent way to help lower your blood pressure or keep it within the normal range.
Pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of antioxidants, magnesium, and zinc, which all contribute to a healthy heart and also in lowering stress.
You can eat these seeds dried, and roasted and they work well when tossed into healthy salads. Pumpkin seeds are also a fantastic source of Vitamin E which helps to increase levels of oxygen in the heart muscle which may prevent scarring and fibrosis.
I also highly recommend sunflower seeds, almonds, pine nuts, and Brazil nuts. Each of these supplies antioxidants like Vitamin E which can help protect the arteries from oxidation.
6. Bell Peppers.
To maintain normal blood pressure, the arteries must be flexible so that blood can flow freely and unrestricted. However, many people suffer from inflammation in the arteries due to eating lots of sugar, junk foods, and refined grains.
Eating foods that are rich in Vitamin C however, can help to mitigate this damage because it helps produce collagen. Eating 1 Raw Bell Pepper is enough to supply your entire daily value of Vitamin C (90mg).
As an antioxidant, Vitamin C repairs damaged collagen in the artery walls and brings down inflammation to prevent damage and oxidation.
7. Eggs.
Historically eggs were believed to raise cholesterol, and therefore increase the risk of heart disease. However modern research shows us this isn’t the case.
Eggs are actually loaded with essential nutrients, amino acids, and vitamins, as they contain all the building blocks of life. 1 Egg Yolk for example contains between 67 and 192 micrograms of vitamin K2.
Vitamin K2 also called menaquinone is a nutrient that helps to pull calcium plaque out of the arteries and place it into the bones where it belongs.
This helps the arteries become more flexible naturally to reduce hypertension (high blood pressure)
8. Garlic.
Garlic is well known as one of the healthiest foods on the planet,
especially when it comes to fighting off diseases and infections. the active compound in garlic is called allicin, which gives it its pungent smell and flavor.
It’s been shown to reduce high blood pressure naturally by helping the arteries to become more flexible, maintaining normal cholesterol levels, and preventing the blood from becoming too ‘sticky.’
It is also a fantastic source of nitric oxide, similarly to beets, it helps to dilate the blood vessels for better blood flow around the body.
Start adding fresh garlic to your food, along with other herbs and spices that improve blood pressure. Cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, Chinese cat’s claw, thyme, basil, and parsley have all been attributed to helping normalize blood pressure.
9. Tomatoes.
Tomatoes contain a carotenoid called lycopene which has been shown in many studies to lower the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.
If you cook tomatoes this makes lycopene much easier to absorb by a factor of 4x, especially if you cook it with extra virgin olive oil.
Lycopene in tomatoes is actually fat-soluble, so when you eat it with a healthy fat like olive oil it helps you to absorb it even more.
It works by lowering inflammation throughout the body and also helping to thin the blood naturally so that it can flow freely through your arteries and circulatory system more easily.
10. Celery.
Many people eat celery to help relax their bodies and help them to sleep better at night because it contains certain compounds that calm stress hormones and reduce anxiety.
3-N-butylphthalide (NBP) Is one of these natural compounds that relax the tissues of the artery walls. This helps to increase blood flow and reduce pressure.
Fresh celery is also high in potassium and magnesium, two key minerals that you need to focus on if you want to permanently get your blood pressure under control.
As a side note, you can also get celery seed extract in pill form which has been shown to be as effective as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen in suppressing arthritis.
11. Bone Broth.
Bone broth provides all of the essential amino acids needed to build collagen, which makes up your artery walls and can help repair damage in different parts of the body.
This is made from boiled animal bones and you can also get it
in powdered form to mix with water if you don’t have time to make it.
Drinking a cup of bone broth every single day helps to boost nitric oxide levels, which naturally helps open up your blood vessels and reduce high blood pressure.
If you decide to purchase a powder, make sure it’s from grass-fed animal sources. You can mix it with soups, stews, or tomato dishes, or simply drink it in hot water.
12. Sauerkraut.
Sauerkraut is a type of fermented cabbage often eaten in Germany and around Europe. The recommended daily requirements for vitamin C are around 90mg, but 1 cup of sauerkraut contains an astonishing 700mg, giving you enough for the entire week in one serving.
Eating this amount of Vitamin C helps in healing the artery walls,
reducing excess fluid in the body, and therefore reducing blood pressure naturally.
Sauerkraut is a wonderful source of prebiotics and probiotics, which support the friendly microbes that live throughout your body and help to lower inflammation.
It’s also another great source of Vitamin K2 which pulls hardened calcium plaque out of your arteries and transports it into the bones where it belongs.
– Extra Tips.
Now that you know some of the best foods, I want to share with you a few extra tips on managing high blood pressure.
Vitamin D is a key hormone-like nutrient that your body makes when sunlight contacts your skin. It’s intimately involved with keeping blood pressure under control, and also reducing stress on the body.
Unfortunately, over 1 billion people worldwide are deficient in Vitamin D, due to various different factors. For this reason, it’s always recommended to take between 10,000 -20,000 IU of Vitamin D in the form of D3 daily if you have high blood pressure.
The standard 1000 dose is nowhere near enough to raise your Vitamin D levels, however, speak to your doctor about this if you are concerned.
Also, eating the foods we mentioned in this article will provide other nutrients that help your body make and absorb more Vitamin D.
If you remember earlier in the article, we also talked about how stress raises your blood pressure because your body gets ready to fight or run away.
You must find ways to manage your stress if you want to get this problem under control. Getting more sleep of at least 8 hours per day, even if you have to take a nap will help to reduce stress hormones in the body.
Taking long slow and steady walks through nature also brings in more oxygen through your lungs to help take the pressure off your circulatory system.
Leafy green vegetables should be consumed every single day to provide potassium and magnesium, the two key minerals that relax your entire nervous system, and reduce tightness in the small muscles and heart.
Freshly squeezed lemon juice (not from the bottle) mixed with a little carbonated water has also been a fantastic remedy for many people to lower their blood pressure in as little as 5 minutes, so you may want to try this too.
I wish you great health, wealth, and happiness.
