Lowering blood pressure requires medication, but it cannot be denied that some foods have been proven to have an auxiliary effect on reducing blood pressure. Starting with your diet and learning to protect your vascular health should perhaps become a mandatory lesson for you.
It is generally believed that celery has the effect of protecting blood vessels; scallions mixed with tofu can reduce the accumulation of cholesterol on the blood vessel walls, having a synergistic effect of lowering blood pressure; onions can lower blood lipids, prevent thrombosis, and achieve an auxiliary blood pressure lowering effect; vinegar can reduce blockages in blood circulation and improve symptoms for patients with high blood pressure; an effective ingredient rich in watermelon can regulate vascular tension and assist in lowering blood pressure; flavonoids in grapes can also lower blood pressure. In addition to the foods mentioned above, the latest research abroad has discovered some lesser-known "blood pressure-lowering foods."
1. Egg whites.
A new study completed by Dr. Yu Zhipeng and his research team at Jilin University in China, as reported by the British Daily Mail on April 9, found that eating egg whites can lower blood pressure. Dr. Rui Lili, from the Department of Food and Nutrition at the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, told a reporter from the Life Times that as early as 2009, a study from the University of Alberta in Canada found that certain proteins in eggs can mimic the effect of antihypertensive drugs, although this new study provides a more accurate explanation for this. Rui Lili suggests that patients with high blood pressure can appropriately eat boiled eggs, but should not exceed two per day. Fried eggs are not suitable for patients with high blood pressure because high-temperature heating causes protein denaturation, and excessive oil intake is also not good. It needs to be reminded that patients with high blood pressure must not blindly supplement egg whites because eating too many eggs will raise cholesterol, which is harmful to the body; and even more so, do not stop taking medication without authorization to avoid affecting the condition.
2. Orange juice.
Orange juice is rich in vitamin C and has effects such as improving human immunity. A new study in 2010 by the University of Auvergne in France found that drinking two glasses of orange juice daily can also lower blood pressure. Scientists found that when middle-aged men drank half a liter of orange juice (about 2 glasses) daily for a month, their blood pressure levels decreased significantly. The main active ingredient in orange juice is hesperidin, which is also abundant in tea, fruits, soybeans, and cocoa and has various health benefits. In addition to hesperidin found in the study, the vitamin C and other antioxidants in oranges help slow the damage of free radicals to blood vessels; the rich potassium in them is also more helpful in lowering blood pressure. However, scientists warn that patients taking antihypertensive drugs must consult a doctor before drinking orange juice, grapefruit juice, and apple juice to prevent the juice from reducing the efficacy of certain drugs. Rui Lili reminds that orange juice must be freshly squeezed, because the ready-made juice sold in supermarkets has a high sugar content, which is not good for blood sugar stability.
3. Black tea.
A study by the University of Western Australia, published in the British journal "Nutrition Bulletin" in 2012, found that drinking 3 cups of black tea daily can significantly lower blood pressure. Professor Jonathan Hodgson and his colleagues conducted a comparative study on the blood pressure-lowering effects of black tea, coffee, and a placebo. The results showed that after drinking 3 cups of black tea daily for 6 months, the systolic and diastolic blood pressure of the participants decreased by 2 mmHg and 3 mmHg, respectively, which is equivalent to a 10% reduction in the risk of hypertension and heart disease. Rui Lili believes that drinking black tea in the morning is better, as it can promote blood circulation in the body. It should be noted that drinking tea in the morning must be after breakfast, because tea contains caffeine, and drinking it on an empty stomach will cause the stomach to absorb too much caffeine, leading to discomfort symptoms such as palpitations and frequent urination. In addition, people with neurasthenia are easily affected by alkaloids and should not drink too much black tea.
4. Purple sweet potatoes.
A study completed by scientists at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, USA, found that eating purple sweet potatoes twice a day can lower blood pressure, with an effect as good as eating oats, and it will not cause weight gain, making it suitable for overweight patients with high blood pressure. Professor Joe Vinson, who led the new study, pointed out that purple sweet potatoes can be roasted and eaten with the skin on. Fried french fries or potato chips are not healthy because many nutrients are destroyed during the high-temperature frying process. Rui Lili reminds that although purple sweet potatoes are good, they lack protein and fat, so they should be eaten together with vegetables, fruits, and protein foods. Moreover, the best way to eat purple sweet potatoes is to boil them with the skin on; try not to use a microwave oven to bake them, because the high temperature of the microwave oven will destroy the active substances in them. In addition, purple sweet potato skins with black spots cannot be eaten as they can cause poisoning.
5. Seaweed.
In 2011, the American Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry stated that the Food Research Center of the Irish Department of Agriculture, through data analysis of 100 related studies, found that eating seaweed often helps to lower blood pressure and prevent heart disease. This is because seaweed contains bioactive peptides, a key ingredient that helps lower blood pressure, and its effect is similar to common antihypertensive drugs. Seaweed foods mainly include: wakame, kelp, and nori. In addition, milk also contains a large amount of bioactive peptides. Rui Lili suggests that patients with high blood pressure can use kelp to stew tofu, which has an auxiliary effect on lowering blood pressure. She also reminded that because seaweed has a high salt content, it should not be eaten too much, preferably no more than twice a week.
6. Chili peppers.
In a 2012 study, Dr. Chen Zhenyu, a professor at the Faculty of Life Sciences at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, found that capsaicin in chili peppers helps to lower blood pressure and blood lipids, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease, the "number one killer" in the world. Professor Ding Rongjing, from the Department of Cardiology, Peking University People's Hospital, introduced that as early as 2010, a study by the Third Military Medical University of China found that capsaicin in chili peppers can cause obvious vasodilation and achieve a blood pressure-lowering effect. However, how much chili to eat daily to "stay away from the cardiologist" is still a question that needs further research. Rui Lili reminds that capsaicin can promote gastric motility, blood flow, and mucus secretion, which has a stimulating effect on the stomach, so people with gastritis and gastric ulcers are not suitable to eat too many chili peppers.
7. Kiwifruit.
In 2011, a new study by Oslo University Hospital in Norway claimed that eating 3 kiwifruits daily can lower blood pressure, and the effect is more significant than eating apples. In the new study, scientists studied 50 male participants and 68 female participants with an average age of 55. The results showed that eating 3 kiwifruits daily had a better blood pressure-lowering effect than eating one apple daily. Experts such as Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a preventive cardiologist in New York, unanimously agreed that kiwifruit should be included in the "five servings of fruits and vegetables daily" diet that is beneficial for heart health. Dr. Mette Svendsen, who led the new study, believes that the blood pressure-lowering effect of kiwifruit mainly comes from the antioxidant lutein it is rich in. However, two Chinese experts reminded that this study does not mean that kiwifruit is a magical fruit, and patients should not blindly supplement lutein because of this new study.
8. Non-alcoholic red wine.
A new study from the University of Barcelona in Spain, published on the American Fox News website in 2012, found for the first time that men at high risk of heart disease who drank 2 glasses of non-alcoholic red wine daily had their systolic and diastolic blood pressure decrease by 6 mmHg and 2 mmHg, respectively, after 4 weeks, equivalent to a 14% and 20% reduction in the risk of heart disease and stroke, respectively. Scientists analyzed that the alcohol in ordinary red wine would hinder the blood pressure-lowering effect, so only non-alcoholic wine with an alcohol content of no more than 0.5% can have a certain blood pressure-lowering effect. In fact, many previous studies have shown that drinking one or two glasses of red wine daily is beneficial for the heart and blood pressure, but a 2011 study by the Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands showed that red wine cannot lower blood pressure. Rui Lili believes that this Spanish study is likely to explain the results of the Dutch study, that is, a certain concentration of alcohol affected the blood pressure-lowering effect of red wine.
9. Beetroot juice.
According to a report in the British Daily Mail on April 15, a new British study published in the American Heart Association's journal "Hypertension" found that drinking beetroot juice regularly helps to lower high blood pressure. The new study found that hypertensive patients who drank one 8-ounce (about 227 grams) glass of beetroot juice daily could lower their blood pressure by about 7%. The blood pressure-lowering effect reached its best 3-4 hours after drinking beetroot juice, and the effect could last for 24 hours. Ding Rongjing pointed out that beetroot juice is rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, dietary fiber, and polyphenols, which are beneficial for heart health, and has the effect of lowering lipids and potassium. Rui Lili introduced that beetroot is more common in southern China and is traditionally used to make suc sugar, but this study provides a new way to eat it. Beetroot also contains a large amount of anthocyanins, which have antioxidant effects, can remove oxidative free radicals in the blood, and are beneficial for cardiovascular health. However, Rui Lili pointed out that beetroot has a high sugar content, and drinking too much will raise blood sugar, so it should be consumed in moderation.