Hypertension or high blood pressure should not be taken lightly. If not treated properly, this condition will trigger various complications of hypertension that can interfere with your health. One way to control high blood pressure is to adopt a healthy diet, starting from choosing a hypertension-lowering food menu, counting calories, and monitoring portions.
The Importance Of Choosing The Right High Blood-Lowering Food
Patients with hypertension need to choose foods with appropriate portions and calories. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) recommends eating foods with a total calorie count of about 2,000 calories per day. Choosing foods with low calories can help you maintain weight and prevent obesity which is one of the causes of hypertension.
Also, follow the DASH diet guidelines by choosing foods that are low in sodium (salt), fat, and cholesterol, and high in fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and protein to help control blood pressure. In fact, choosing foods with these criteria can reduce the need to take hypertension medication.
Various High Blood-Lowering Foods
If you are one who suffers from high blood pressure or hypertension, taking medication alone is not enough to be able to control and lower blood pressure. Some of the people closest to you may recommend certain types of food for high blood pressure. However, are all these recommendations correct?
To check the truth, you can see the list of foods to lower high blood pressure below. Here are high blood pressure-lowering foods that you can consume daily:
1. Green vegetables
Green vegetables such as spinach, kale, turnip greens, mustard greens, and lettuce, contain potassium, magnesium, and fiber making them suitable as food for people with hypertension. Consume half a cup of cooked green vegetables every day to lower your high blood pressure.
However, keep in mind, choose fresh vegetables because canned vegetables are one of the foods that cause high blood pressure which is certainly not good for your health.
2. Yogurt
Yogurt is a dairy product, therefore this type of food contains high calcium which is suitable for people with hypertension. In addition, yogurt is also high in probiotics which are believed to help lower blood pressure, according to several studies.
To include yogurt in the daily menu, you can consume it directly one cup every day or mixed with fruit, nuts, or granola. Do not forget to choose yogurt with low sugar and fat content (low fat) because it is better for your health.
3. Skimmed milk
In addition to dairy foods such as yogurt, skim milk also contains high calcium and low fat which can be used as a blood pressure lowering agent.
According to research published in the Journal of Human Hypertension in 2012, there is an association between consumption of low-fat dairy, such as skim milk, and a reduced risk of high blood pressure. Although calcium has an important role in lowering blood pressure, there may also be other components in milk that also play a role, such as peptide compounds from milk.
Consume one cup of low-fat or skim milk daily to get the hypertension-lowering benefits you need.
4. Potato
Potatoes are one of the foodstuffs that contain high potassium and magnesium as well as fiber, which can lower blood pressure making it suitable for people with hypertension.
However, you should not use too much salt when cooking or eating potatoes, as it can actually increase your blood pressure. To get the benefits of potatoes as a hypertension-lowering food, it's a good idea to choose the consumption of potatoes that are only boiled or baked without the addition of salt.
5. Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a food that contains low sodium and fat and high in fiber, so it is suitable as a lowering of high blood pressure. You can choose oatmeal as your breakfast menu. If you find the oatmeal too bland, you can add fresh fruit or a little honey.
6. Fish
Fish is also one of the most powerful foods to reduce hypertension. Research published in the Journal of Nutrition found that eating fatty fish, such as salmon, three times a week was associated with a decrease in diastolic blood pressure for more than eight weeks.
In addition, many previous studies have found that omega-3 fatty acids contained in fish-based foods have a high blood pressure-lowering effect.
However, you also need to pay attention to the addition of salt in cooking fish. Excess salt in fish can actually increase your blood pressure.
7. Fish oil
Not only fish, fish oil can also be a food ingredient choice for hypertensive patients. Fish oil is well known for its various properties, including for preventing high blood pressure and is good for heart health.
8. Lima beans
The potassium content in lima beans originating from Peru in Latin America can also be used as a high blood-lowering food. In addition, lima beans also contain fiber and protein which is certainly good for people with hypertension. You can consume lima beans by boiling them, can be eaten directly or mixed with other vegetables. Remember, only add a little salt to the dish.
9. Flaxseed
The content of omega-3 in flaxseed is also believed to help lower high blood pressure. Research published in the journal Hypertension in 2013 found that consuming flaxseed could help lower blood pressure for six months in people with hypertension. In addition to omega-3, flaxseed also contains alpha linolenic acid, lignans, peptides, and fiber which may also have an effect on blood pressure.
10. Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate is rich in flavonoids, which can help lower high blood pressure. Research in BMC Medicine in 2010 said, consumption of dark chocolate is recommended as a high blood-lowering food for people with hypertension or prehypertension conditions.
The flavonoid content in dark chocolate is associated with the formation of nitric oxide, which can dilate blood vessels and improve blood flow, thereby lowering blood pressure.
If you are confused about choosing dark chocolate that is suitable for people with hypertension, choose chocolate with a cocoa content of up to 70%. The higher the cocoa content, the better for your health.
11. Whole Grain
Another food that you can choose to lower high blood pressure is whole grains. In 2010, research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed that whole grains could be one of the foods that help lower blood pressure in middle-aged people.
Even so, experts don't know for sure the reason whole wheat is a high blood-lowering food. But what is certain, this food has a high fiber content, so it can prevent constriction of blood vessels and potentially lower blood pressure.
To get the hypertension-lowering benefits, you can choose several types of food, such as bread, cereal, or pasta made from whole grains. Half a cup of cooked cereal or pasta (whole grain) a day is enough to help lower your blood pressure.
12. Pistachio Nuts
Another good food for high blood pressure sufferers, namely pistachios. Pistachios contain healthy fats and are a good source of protein, fiber and antioxidants.
In a study published in the US National Library of Medicine, consuming one serving of pistachio nuts a day can help reduce blood pressure. One type of this nut can also lower cholesterol so that it can also reduce the risk of heart disease, including for people with hypertension.
To consume them, you can make pistachio nuts as an everyday snack or you can also mix them with salads.
Fruits That Are Useful For Lowering High Blood Pressure
In addition to the foods above, some fruits can also lower blood pressure, making them suitable for consumption by people with hypertension. Here are the fruits that you can choose for daily consumption:
1. Banana
Banana is a fruit that is very easy to find in Indonesia. Besides being cheap, bananas are also useful as a high blood-lowering food.
The high potassium content in bananas can help balance high sodium levels in the body of people with hypertension, so these foods are considered effective as lowering hypertension. You can eat bananas directly or also as a friend to eat cereal or yogurt.
2. Berries
Fruits of the berry group, especially blueberries, contain flavonoid compounds. A study shows that flavonoids can prevent and lower high blood pressure making it suitable for people with hypertension. You can consume one cup of blueberries every day and can add it to your yogurt or morning cereal.
3. Beetroot
Several studies have shown that drinking beetroot juice can lower high blood pressure. One study that proves this comes from a study published in the Nutrition Journal in 2013. This study succeeded in proving that there was a decrease in systolic blood pressure after six hours of consuming beetroot juice, especially in male participants.
This can happen because the content of nitrates, which are found in beets, can be a source of high blood-lowering foods. You can consume beets juiced or cooked (baked or steamed).
4. Pomegranate
Pomegranate or also called pomegranate has properties as a hypertension-lowering food.
Research published by Plant Foods for Human Nutrition shows that consuming more than one glass of pomegranate juice daily for four weeks can lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The content of potassium and polyphenols in pomegranate is believed to play a role in lowering blood pressure.
You can also find high polyphenol content in dark chocolate, olive oil, and hibiscus tea.
5. Kiwi
Kiwi is one of the fruits or foods that are recommended for people with high blood pressure. The reason is, kiwi contains calcium, magnesium, and potassium which can lower blood pressure.
In addition to containing these three minerals, kiwi fruit is also rich in vitamin C which is an antioxidant. These antioxidants can help your body fight free radicals and prevent damage to cells in the body.
6. Avocado
The benefits of avocado are well known by many people. Besides being good for skin health, it turns out that avocados can also be used as a high blood-lowering food.
Avocado is a fruit that is rich in good fats and vitamins and minerals, such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium which are suitable for lowering blood pressure.
7. Tomato
Other high-potassium foods that are suitable for lowering high blood pressure are tomatoes. This is evidenced by a study by Tokyo Medical and Dental University and the Tucson Plant Breeding Institute, with 184 men and 297 women as participants who were asked to drink plain tomato juice every day for a year.
As a result, blood pressure in 94 participants with hypertension decreased, with systolic blood pressure dropping from 141.2 to 137 mmHg, while diastolic blood pressure decreased from 83.3 to 80.9 mmHg. Although it is not stated exactly what content in tomatoes can lower blood pressure, it is possible that the antioxidants and carotenoids contained in tomatoes play an important role.
8. Orange
The content contained in citrus fruits, one of which is potassium, is also useful for lowering your blood pressure. A study conducted by a team of Cleveland Clinic researchers proves this.
A total of 25 participants with heart disease took part in the study and were asked to drink two glasses of orange juice a day. As a result, the participants' blood pressure decreased significantly. In fact, two weeks later, most of the participants had normal blood pressure.
However, more research needs to be done to prove the effect of oranges on lowering blood pressure.
9. Watermelon
Watermelon is also another food that you can use as a lowering of high blood pressure. Several studies have shown that the content of L-citrulline and L-arginine in watermelon plays a role in lowering blood pressure.
According to a study in the American Journal of Hypertension, the citrulline content in watermelon can reduce systolic and diastolic numbers in people with hypertension.
This decrease is more pronounced in patients with high blood pressure in the ankles (ankle blood pressure) and upper arms (brachial blood pressure), especially in patients who are overweight and over 50 years of age.
10. Pineapple
Another fruit that you can consume as a lowering of blood pressure is pineapple. This fruit, which is synonymous with sour taste, is rich in potassium, which is beneficial for people with hypertension.
11. Pears
Pears also include fruits that are rich in potassium and other antioxidant substances. The potassium content in pears is about 190 mg. In addition, this fruit also does not contain sodium and fat, so your risk for experiencing high blood pressure is reduced.
Consumption of pears in the long term also helps you lose weight, maintain excess muscle contractions, control heart rate, and accelerate the body's metabolic processes.
12. Melon
This fruit with a distinctive sweet taste is not only delicious and refreshing, but can also be a high blood-lowering food. Melon contains high potassium, so this food is suitable for people with hypertension.
Not only can lower blood pressure, this fruit can also improve sugar levels, prevent the risk of dehydration, improve the immune system with its vitamin C content, and facilitate digestion because it is rich in fiber.
Melon also has low calories so it is suitable for preventing overweight or obesity which can cause hypertension.
In addition to the fruits above, several other fruits also contain potassium to lower blood pressure, such as mangoes, grapes, and apples.
You can consume the above fruits by eating them directly as a snack, processed into juice, and as a complement to salads, yogurt, cereals, or other foods.
Source : https://hellosehat.com/jantung/hipertensi/makanan-penurun-tekanan-darah-tinggi/
