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 required 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 blood vessel walls, having a synergistic effect on lowering blood pressure; onions can lower blood lipids, prevent thrombosis, and achieve an auxiliary blood pressure-lowering effect; vinegar can reduce blockages in blood flow and improve symptoms in patients with hypertension; 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. Yizhipeng from Jilin University in China and his research team, as reported by the UK's Daily Mail on April 9, found that eating egg whites can lower blood pressure. Dr. Ruili from the Department of Food and Nutrition at the Academy of Military Medical Sciences told 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 effects of blood pressure-lowering drugs, although this new study provides a more accurate explanation. Ruili suggests that patients with hypertension can appropriately eat boiled eggs, but no more than two per day. Fried eggs are not suitable for patients with hypertension because high-temperature heating causes protein denaturation, and the excessive oil intake is harmful. It needs to be reminded that patients with hypertension must not blindly supplement egg whites because eating too many eggs will raise cholesterol, which is harmful to the body; and more importantly, do not stop taking medication without consulting a doctor to avoid affecting your condition.
2. Orange juice.
Orange juice is rich in vitamin C and has other benefits such as improving human immunity. A new study in 2010 from 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) every day for a month, their blood pressure levels decreased significantly. The main effective component 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 down the damage of free radicals to blood vessels; the rich potassium is also more helpful in lowering blood pressure. However, scientists warn that patients taking blood pressure medication must consult a doctor before drinking orange juice, grapefruit juice, and apple juice to prevent the juice from reducing the effectiveness of certain drugs. Ruili 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 from the University of Western Australia, published in the UK journal Nutrition Advice 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. Ruili believes that drinking black tea in the morning is better as it can promote blood circulation in the body. It should be noted that tea in the morning must be consumed after breakfast because tea contains caffeine, and drinking it on an empty stomach can lead to excessive caffeine absorption in the stomach and intestines, causing discomfort symptoms such as palpitations and frequent urination. In addition, people with neurasthenia are susceptible to the effects of 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 hypertension. Joe Vinson, the head of the new study, pointed out that purple sweet potatoes can be baked and eaten with the skin on. French fries or potato chips are unhealthy because many nutrients are destroyed during the high-temperature frying process. Ruili reminds that although purple sweet potatoes are good, they lack protein and fat, so they should be eaten with vegetables, fruits, and protein-rich foods. Moreover, the best way to eat purple sweet potatoes is to boil them with the skin on; try not to use a microwave to bake them because the high temperature of the microwave will destroy the active substances. In addition, purple sweet potato skins with black spots cannot be eaten as they can cause poisoning.
5. Seaweed.
In 2011, the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry in the USA reported that the Food Research Center of the Irish Department of Agriculture found through data analysis of 100 related studies that eating seaweed regularly helps to lower blood pressure and prevent heart disease. This is because seaweed contains bioactive peptides, a key ingredient that helps lower blood pressure, whose 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. Ruili suggests that patients with hypertension can use kelp to stew tofu, which has an auxiliary effect on lowering blood pressure. She also reminds 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 from the Faculty of Life Sciences at the Chinese University of Hong Kong found that capsaicin in chili peppers helps lower blood pressure and blood lipids, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease, the "number one killer" globally. Ding Rongjing, a professor in the Department of Cardiology at Peking University People's Hospital, explained that as early as 2010, a study from the Third Military Medical University of China found that capsaicin in chili peppers can cause significant 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 requires further research. Ruili reminds that capsaicin can promote gastric peristalsis, blood flow, and mucus secretion, and has a stimulating effect on the stomach, so people with gastritis and stomach ulcers are not suitable for eating too many chili peppers.
7. Kiwifruit.
In 2011, a new study from Oslo University Hospital in Norway claimed that eating 3 kiwifruits daily can lower blood pressure, with a more significant effect 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. Med Svendsen, the head of the new study, believes that the blood pressure-lowering effect of kiwifruit mainly comes from its rich antioxidant, lutein. 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. Alcohol-free red wine.
In 2012, Fox News in the USA published a new study from the University of Barcelona in Spain for the first time, which found that high-risk men with heart disease who drank 2 glasses of alcohol-free 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 can hinder the blood pressure-lowering effect, so only drinking alcohol-free wine with an alcohol content of no more than 0.5% can achieve 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 from the Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands showed that red wine cannot lower blood pressure. Ruili believes that this Spanish study may have explained the results of the Dutch study, that is, a certain concentration of alcohol affects the blood pressure-lowering effect of red wine.
9. Beetroot juice.
According to a report in the UK's Daily Mail on April 15, a new British study published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension found that drinking beetroot juice regularly helps to lower blood pressure. The new study found that patients with hypertension 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 peak 3-4 hours after drinking beetroot juice and lasted for 24 hours. Ding Rongjing pointed out that beetroot juice is rich in heart-healthy vitamin C, vitamin K, dietary fiber, and polyphenols, which have the effect of lowering lipids and potassium. Ruili 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, clearing oxidative free radicals from the blood and is beneficial for cardiovascular health. However, Ruili pointed out that beetroot is high in sugar, so drinking too much will raise blood sugar, so it should be consumed in moderation.