6 Foods That Can Help With High Blood Pressure

There are foods that we know to avoid when it comes to having high blood pressure, but did you know that there are foods that could help lower it? Here are 6 foods that you can enjoy that could help lower your blood pressure.

6 Foods for a High Blood Pressure Diet

1. Fruits
   • Fruits are full of antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber and also low in calories. There was a study in 2013 that shows that people who consumed fruits, especially blueberries and melons had a significantly lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. You can eat all kinds of fruits and to make it less boring you can add fruits to smoothies, your breakfast and even make popsicles out of it.
2. Vegetables and legumes
   • Adding legumes and beans can also help keep your blood pressure in check. They have very low fat with tons of fiber and complex carbohydrates. However, it is best to avoid legume products that contain sugars, simple starches such as syrups and marinades.
3. Dark Chocolate
   • If you have a sweet tooth and are worried about having to give up sweets, you don’t have to worry about giving up chocolate! Cocoa is known to have cardiovascular benefits so having some dark chocolate can help relax your arteries and improve your blood flow. Of course, dark chocolate still has some sugar so only consume in small amounts and its best to eat 85% dark chocolate, as anything else might be too high in sugar. 
4. Omega 3s
   • Omega 3s are beneficial when it comes to calming down inflammation, so foods such as chia seeds, salmon and sardines can greatly reduce your blood pressure. The researchers found that the average systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) decreased by 4.51 mm Hg in people who took DHA and EPA 
5. Oatmeal
   • Oatmeal contains healthy nutrients such as B-Glucans, which can help reduce insulin and glucose responses after meals, it can also help reduce fats such as blood lipids. People with type 1 diabetes will, however, have to lower their consumption of oatmeal just because it does contain a lot of carbohydrates
6. Garlic
   • Garlic is a popular ingredient in medicine and can be taken as a supplement over the counter. Compounds in garlic are known to reduce blood sugar by improving insulin activity and secretion, this can also help with maintaining blood pressure as a study shows that people who took metformin and garlic together showed a significant reduction in their post-meal blood sugar levels as well as controlling their blood pressure.

Additional resources about high blood pressure treatment:

• Ways to Destress and Help Heart Health
• 3 Common Medications that are Making You Tired
• Supplements to Help Lower Cholesterol Levels
• Managing Diabetes 101
• Blood sugar supplement Pro-Balance Pro-Glucose Support