Your diet is a key factor in how high or low your blood pressure will be.
Most people know too much sodium or cholesterol can negatively affect your blood pressure.
People also know that eating foods rich in magnesium and potassium can help lower it.
But what else can you incorporate into your diet to help lower your blood pressure?
We’ve put together a list of 5 nutrients you can start adding to your diet to help you reduce your blood pressure.
5 Key Nutrients for Lowering Blood Pressure
1. Omega 3
Eating salmon regularly just might be a key to maintaining your health.
Salmon has some of the top nutrients for lowering blood pressure, including omega 3 fatty acids.
Omega 3 fatty acids are a healthy and good fat that helps decrease the chances of plaque building up in the arteries and blood vessels.
These fatty acids also lower the level of LDL, or bad cholesterol, which can lead to high blood pressure or heart disease.
Omega 3s have also shown to be an anti-inflammatory that can relax enlarged blood vessels that may cause high blood pressure.
The fatty acids offer complete cardiovascular support.
You can increase your Omega 3 Fatty acids by eating more salmon and other fish or by eating certain nuts and seeds.
You can also get omega 3 fatty acids from supplements.
2. Dairy
Researchers in Spain found there was a positive correlation between eating low-fat dairy and the reduction of hypertension risk.
They found those who consumed more low-fat yogurt and low-fat milk were less likely to have high blood pressure than those who skipped the low-fat diary.
In fact, those who reported consuming the most low-fat dairy products were 54% less likely to develop high blood pressure.
Researchers believe proteins and the peptides found in dairy products help fight high blood pressure while protecting the heart.
Casein and whey protein may act similarly to blood pressure lowering drugs.
3. Flavonoids
Flavonoids are high in antioxidants, act as anti-inflammatories and offer anti-viral benefits.
They can be found in berries, vegetables like kale and spinach, and dark chocolate.
Flavonoids have been proven to fight free radicals that enter the body through pollution.
The antioxidants in the flavonoids prevent internal damage to the body.
They also reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering blood pressure and keeping the arteries healthy.
4. Potassium
Potassium, most commonly found in bananas and potatoes, is one of the key nutrients for lowering blood pressure because it reverses the affects of too much sodium in the blood vessels.
It also relaxes blood vessels and allows for more blood to flow, to help support healthy blood pressure levels.
Potassium deficiencies are commonly found among people who use certain medications and diuretics, have physically demanding jobs, athletes, are smokers, and those who abuse drugs and alcohol.
5. L-Arginine
L-arginine is an amino acid and a precursor to nitric oxide.
Nitric oxide helps to dilate blood vessels and increases blood flow within the body.
Many athletes use supplements that help create nitric oxide in order to get more oxygen and nutrients to their muscles before, during and after a competition.
Foods like turkey, chicken, and beans have high amounts of l-arginine in them and are relatively inexpensive.
However, if you’re not the best at eating those foods, taking supplements like L-Arginine Plus can help you consume enough l-arginine each day to support healthy blood pressure levels.
These are just five of the top nutrients for lowering blood pressure, and they are keys to include in your diet if you want to take a proactive approach to lowering your blood pressure.
Diet makes up a large portion of the state of your blood pressure and eating healthy, whole foods with the nutrients we’ve listed above will help you to better protect your heart and see your blood pressure stay at a healthy level.
Resources
http://www.prevention.com/food/13-power-foods-that-lower-blood-pressure-naturally/slide/13