High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects about one in three adults for all kinds of reasons, from genetics to stress. While medications can help keep it in check, there are also fruit and veg to bring it down.
Here are some science-backed staples to ease rising blood pressure, whatever its cause.
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Fruit and vegetable containing potassium, a mineral which is essential for keeping your body ticking over and helps to decrease your blood pressure, explains the CDC.
As the agency explains, eating fruit and veg directly counters the effect of salt, which contains sodium, which raises your blood pressure.
The best fruits and vegetables to ease rising blood pressure
According to many studies, you should opt for the following fruit and veg choices:
- Canned fruit and veg – choose options in natural juices or water rather than syrup, and without any added sugar or salt.
- Juice and smoothies – unsweetened fruit juice, smoothies and vegetable juice all count, but only as one portion no matter how much you drink. Because they are high in calories without filling you up, and the sugar can damage your teeth.
- Dried fruit – A 30 to 40g portion of dried fruit also counts, but as they’re high in sugar, it’s best to only eat them at mealtimes to minimise tooth decay.
- Pulses – beans, peas and lentils all count and are a good source of protein and fibre, but they only count as one portion.
- Root veg – potatoes, yams, cassava and plantain are considered starchy foods so they don’t count towards your five-a-day, but sweet potatoes and other root veg such as turnips, parsnips and swedes do.
The magic ingredient is potassium and the beneficial effects of this mineral have been expounded in a review published in the American Journal of Physiology — Endocrinology and Metabolism.
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“Eating potassium-rich foods like sweet potatoes, avocados, spinach, beans, bananas – and even coffee – could be key to lowering blood pressure,” according to Alicia McDonough, PhD, professor of cell and neurobiology at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC).
“Eating a high potassium diet is like taking a diuretic.”