Today, we’ll explore 10 foods that reduce blood pressure and boost blood flow, and the top 3 foods that cause high blood pressure, so let’s get into it.
If you’re an adult in America, there’s a 50% chance you’ll have high blood pressure, or hypertension, as half of Americans are affected by it. Globally, this figure is 30%.
Now, because high blood pressure is so common these days, many people tend to overlook its seriousness, and this is a big mistake.
Having high blood pressure, increases your risk of heart diseases, and serious complications like heart attack, heart failure, irregular heartbeat, stroke, kidney damage, and aneurysm.
In addition, high blood pressure damages your arteries, leading to poor blood circulation, and symptoms like leg cramps while walking, foot pain, tingling or numbness in your arms and legs, fatigue, varicose veins, digestive problems, and cognitive issues, such as confusion or memory loss.
Fortunately, you can prevent high blood pressure entirely, or easily reverse it through diet and lifestyle changes, without relying on medications that cause unwanted effects.
Before we get to the first food, look at this chart. It shows the categories of hypertension, so you can check against your own blood pressure levels.
The number at the top is your systolic blood pressure, and the number at the bottom is your diastolic blood pressure.
These numbers measure the force against your artery walls during heart contractions (systole), and when your heart is at rest between beats (diastole).
So, the first food is number 10, “Flaxseeds”.
Add 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed to your daily meals.
A study published in the “Hypertension” journal, demonstrates that hypertensive individuals with a systolic blood pressure over 140 millimeters of mercury, experience an average reduction of 15 millimeters of mercury when they consume flaxseed. This reduction in blood pressure is comparable to, or even better than, the effects of many medications.
Flaxseeds contain omega-3 fats, especially alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), potassium, lignans, and fiber, all of which work together to enhance your blood flow and heart health.
Next, at Number 9, is “Nitrate-rich Vegetables”.
Include one serving of nitrate-rich vegetables in your daily meals.
These nitrates convert to nitric oxide in the lining of your blood vessels. Nitric oxide acts as a potent vasodilator, widening your blood vessels to improve blood flow and reduce blood pressure. The effects are cumulative; this means the more you eat them, and the longer you do, the greater the benefits.
Nitrate-rich vegetables, include spinach, arugula, beets and beet greens, rhubarb, cilantro, basil, butter leaf lettuce, mesclun greens, oak leaf lettuce, and Swiss chard.
One Danish study involving 50,000 people, found that simply eating one cup of raw, or half a cup of cooked, nitrate-rich vegetables each day, is enough to significantly lower the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.
Moving on, the next food is, Number 8, “Dark Chocolate”.
Enjoy 2 large squares, or one to two ounces of dark chocolate with at least 75% cacao every day.
The abundance of flavanols, particularly epi catechin, and procyanidins in this delicious treat, can boost nitric oxide production, and promote the relaxation of your blood vessels.
A review of 13 studies from Australia, found that consuming dark chocolate can decrease systolic pressure by up to 8.0 millimeters of mercury, and diastolic pressure by up to 4.9 millimeters of mercury in people with hypertension.
Next, we have, Number 7, “Garlic”.
Eat 3 to 6 cloves of cut or crushed garlic over several meals, or six hundred to one thousand two hundred milligrams of an aged garlic extract every day.
The blood-pressure-lowering effects of garlic are well known. When the bioactive compounds in garlic interact with red blood cells, they trigger the release of hydrogen sulfide, which plays a crucial role in relaxing blood vessels and lowering blood pressure.
In fact, garlic can be as effective as blood pressure medications. In a study involving 210 hypertensive patients, garlic tablets were found to lower blood pressure significantly, when compared to the drug atenolol. What’s more, unlike medications, garlic is safe to use, and generally well tolerated by most people.
Next up, is Number 6, “Pomegranate Juice”.
Drink 8 to 12 ounces of pomegranate juice daily.
Pomegranates contain a unique compound called punicalagins, which are powerful antioxidants with anti-inflammatory effects. These compounds are not only the most abundant antioxidants in pomegranate, but also responsible for over half of the antioxidant activity found in pomegranate juice.
In one Israeli study, one hundred and one kidney disease patients were split into two groups. One group drank pomegranate juice daily, while the other had a placebo drink.
After a year, those who drank pomegranate juice had a notable drop in systolic blood pressure, suggesting that drinking pomegranate juice regularly can help reduce blood pressure, and lower the risk of atherosclerosis, or clogged arteries.
Next, let’s talk about Number 5, “Watermelon”.
Include one slice of watermelon or one cup of chopped fruit in your daily diet, or consider taking 3 to 9 grams per day of L-citrulline from watermelon extract.
Watermelon is rich in citrulline, an amino acid that transforms into arginine in the kidneys. This process helps produce nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, improves blood flow, and lowers high blood pressure.
A study at Florida State University, found that giving nine pre-hypertensive individuals six grams of L-citrulline from watermelon extract daily, improved their arterial function and lowered aortic blood pressure.
Also, watermelon is rich in potassium, which helps prevent excess salt from raising your blood pressure, and also relaxes your blood vessels.
Furthermore, watermelon contains lycopene, a potent antioxidant that promotes heart health, maintains healthy arteries, and improves blood flow.
Up next, is Number 4, “Extra Virgin Olive Oil”.
Take two to four tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil per day.
Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats (like oleic acid), and polyphenols, which help improve your cholesterol profile and lower blood pressure.
In a study involving more than six thousand eight hundred people in Spain, consuming higher amounts of olive oil, was associated with up to a 75% lower risk of hypertension in men, compared to those consuming the least amount.
Coming into Number 3, we have, “Celery”.
Consume four stalks of celery daily as celery juice.
Celery contains a compound called phthalides, that relaxes artery walls, improving blood flow and lowering blood pressure.
The natural compounds in celery work like diuretics, flushing out extra salt that can increase your blood pressure.
Plus, the potassium in celery helps keep your body’s fluid levels balanced, which is key for managing your blood pressure.
Next, we have Number 2, “Hibiscus Tea”.
Drink one to two cups of hibiscus tea daily with your meals.
In one study, 60 diabetic patients were given either hibiscus tea or black tea to drink daily. Those who had hibiscus tea experienced a significant drop in systolic pressure by an average of 22 millimeters of mercury, and pulse pressure by 18 millimeters of mercury after just 30 days, while those drinking black tea actually saw their blood pressure rise.
The antioxidants in hibiscus, like flavonoids and anthocyanins, boost nitric oxide and act as diuretics to lower blood pressure.
And at Number 1, we have “Cinnamon”.
Add half a teaspoon of Ceylon cinnamon to your tea or coffee after dinner.
Cinnamon helps dilate and relax blood vessels, which helps lower blood pressure. This effect, combined with its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, plays a key role in managing hypertension.
Moreover, cinnamon’s insulin-like activity can help lower blood sugar levels by reducing insulin resistance and supporting glucose metabolism in the liver, thus contributing to improved blood pressure and overall health.
A review of 9 studies involving six hundred and forty one patients with type 2 diabetes, found that cinnamon can lower systolic blood pressure by approximately five point one seven millimeters of mercury, and diastolic blood pressure by about three point three six millimeters of mercury, indicating its potential to modestly improve blood pressure levels.
Choose Ceylon cinnamon instead of Cassia for safer consumption, since Ceylon has less coumarin, which can be harmful to your liver in high amounts.
There you have it! Ten foods that can reduce blood pressure and boost blood flow.
Individuals with specific health conditions should consult a healthcare provider before increasing their intake of any food or supplement covered in this video.
To keep your blood pressure in the healthy range, make sure to get regular aerobic exercise, and 7 to 8 hours of good sleep every night.
Next, let’s look at the top 3 foods that cause high blood pressure and reduce blood flow.
You’ll want to avoid as much as possible.
Number One: Overeating Refined Carbs and Sugar.
It’s well-established that consuming a diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugar can raise your risk of obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.
Refined carbs are foods like white bread, pasta, pizza dough, pastries, and sugary cereals. They are broken down into sugar or glucose easily.
Consuming too many carbs increases water retention in the blood, which in turn raises blood pressure.
A study from 2014 published in “OpenHeart” found that added sugar, especially high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), may pose a greater risk for blood pressure and heart disease compared to salt.
Fructose, or HFCS is a common sweetener present in the majority of processed foods, sodas, sweetened drinks, juices, biscuits, and salad dressings, making up 80 to 90% of these products.
So, how does added sugar, or fructose, lead to the development of hypertension?
First, consuming a high-carb or sugar diet elevates glucose levels, and increases insulin production. Excess insulin can lead to insulin resistance, causing your body to excrete more magnesium through urine. Low magnesium levels prevent your blood vessels from relaxing properly, thus raising your blood pressure levels.
Second, high glucose levels block nitric oxide production by deactivating it,
Third, exposure to sugar causes your body to produce advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which causes diabetes complications. AGEs also initiate processes that stiffens and narrows your blood vessels, thus causing blood pressure to rise.
Number Two: Vegetable Oils.
Regular consumption of vegetable seed oils can trigger chemicals in your body that cause inflammation, which can contribute to health issues such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, and other chronic diseases.
These oils, including soybean, cottonseed, corn, safflower, grapeseed, and canola oil, are made up of Omega-6 poly unsaturated fats that are oxidized during refining.
When you consume ultra-processed foods, such as packaged baked goods, fast food, fried foods, frozen meals, and margarine, it’s highly likely that these products were prepared using vegetable oils, or even harmful trans fats.
Number Three: Excess Salt.
Your body needs a small amount of salt from a healthy source, but many people in industrialized countries get too much salt from consuming ultra-processed foods.
Excess salt can lead to water retention in the body, and this raises blood pressure in some people.
Now, the only time when salt can cause hypertension, is when there is an imbalance of salt and potassium in the diet.
Too much salt reduces potassium, and too much potassium reduces salt.
So, the important thing to do, instead of worrying about a low salt diet, is to avoid processed foods, and increase potassium by eating lot of fresh veggies and fruits.