Hypertension is a common health issue that’s found in people of all ages. It happens to be one of the leading risk factors for disability and death across the world. Thankfully, one of the easiest shields against this threat is enriching your diet with healthy foods.
Your diet plays a critical role in determining your blood pressure and heart health. In this article, we’ve gathered the 5 best foods to help you keep your blood pressure under control. Let’s get into it!
1. Dairy Foods (Reduced Fat)
Adding some reduced-fat dairy products to your daily diet has shown to have a noticeable role in keeping blood pressure low. But for obvious reasons, please ignore this suggestion if you’re lactose intolerant or have any allergies to dairy foods.
Try fitting in unflavoured dairy items like yogurt and milk as a nourishing snack in your daily routine. You can even pair it with some of the other foods in this article (such as wholegrain cereal or fruits) for better results.
2. Fruits
Fruits are your best friend in the fight against hypertension. They’re a rich source of magnesium, fiber, and potassium. Fruits are an essential part of any diet that’s tailored to keep your blood pressure low.
We’d suggest getting a healthy daily dose of fruits throughout the day in any shape or form. You could add some berries to a bowl of yogurt for a healthy snack with a topping of unsalted nuts! All of those ingredients are great for lowering blood pressure.
Make sure you take regular blood pressure readings using adult blood pressure cuffs to see if these dietary changes actually help keep your blood pressure low.
3. Vegetables
You’ve probably seen fruits and veggies sticking together in most diet plans — and we’re not making any exceptions. Vegetables play a similar role as fruits in lowering blood pressure. They’re packed with a load of healthy nutrients so you should consume a variety of them throughout the day.
4. Seeds and Nuts
Here’s a tasty solution to high blood pressure — nuts and seeds! Who doesn’t love chomping through a bag of these anyway? They’re filled with healthy minerals, vitamins, unsaturated fats, and proteins to power you through the day. They’re great as an energy-boosting snack around 3 PM. Just make sure you take them unsalted, as salt increases blood pressure.
5. Wholegrains
Regular wholegrain consumption is linked to lower hypertension risks and improved heart health. As long as you keep your portion sizes in check, whole grains will be a valuable addition to your diet. Limit your intake to a half or a full cup in one of your main meals.
You can even switch some of your current diets into wholegrain versions such as bread, pasta, rice, porridge, breakfast cereal, and muesli, etc.
Conclusion
The 5 foods listed in this article will not only help keep your blood pressure low but also optimize various other departments of your health and fitness. For instance, a regular intake of nuts and seeds is also linked to lower cholesterol! All 5 of these items are healthy, so a lifestyle built around them will only make you fitter. All the best!