#HealthBytes: 5 food items to control high blood pressure
Infamously called the "silent killer", hypertension or high blood-pressure may go unnoticed for years, but could be the root-cause of major health issues and diseases such as heart-ailments, kidney disease, stroke, and blood vessel damage. It is inevitable to keep high blood-pressure in check to lead a healthy life. Here, we enlist 5 food items that will help you control your high blood pressure.
Say yes to leafy green veggies for controlling hypertension
Potassium aids your kidneys to push out more sodium through urine, which in turn, helps to reduce blood pressure. Add up a decent amount of leafy green veggies, rich in potassium, to your diet, including the likes of spinach, beet greens, and turnip greens. Avoid canned veggies, and opt for fresh green ones to control your high blood pressure.
Choose oats for breakfast for controlled blood pressure
Oatmeal is considered one of the best options for breakfast, for more reasons than one. Oats help in lowering blood pressure levels since it is low on fat, high in fiber, and is an overall low-sodium meal. To have them in breakfast, soak half-a-cup rolled oats with the same amount of milk in a jar, and in the morning, stir and add nuts/fruits to taste.
Bananas are super-rich in potassium, need we say more?
Potassium, as we said, is super-effective in dealing with high blood pressure. Talking about bananas, they happen to be natural storehouses of potassium. American Heart Association says potassium in bananas lowers the sodium effect, and relieves the tension in the walls of blood vessels. You may slice a banana down in pieces; make a juicy banana shake, or add some to your oatmeal.
A kiwi a day keeps hypertension away
One study found out that eating 3 kiwis a day for 8 weeks resulted in a significant decline in both systolic and diastolic blood-pressure, as compared to an-apple-a-day consumption for the same period of time. It was suggested that the bio-active substances in Kiwi were responsible for it. Further, it is also rich in Vitamin C. Snack on them, or make that healthy juice.
Fat-free plain yogurt to the rescue of blood-pressure patients
A study by the American Heart Association found that women who ate five or more serves of yogurt weekly, were at a 20% lower-risk of succumbing to high blood pressure. With just one cup of yogurt, you fulfill 49% of your daily calcium, 18% potassium, and 12% magnesium needs. Plain, unflavored, fat-free yogurt should be preferred above any other. You may add fruits/nuts to taste
