Hypertension is a common disease among many older people and has always been a threat to their health. Of course, besides medication, a healthy diet is also an important factor in controlling the condition. So, what can older people eat to more effectively control high blood pressure? Below, the editor introduces 20 foods that are beneficial for lowering blood pressure, of course, with some small tips included~
1. Fig
Figs contain malic acid, citric acid, lipase, protease, hydrolase, etc., which can help the body digest food, stimulate appetite, and due to their various lipids, they have the effect of moistening the intestines and promoting bowel movements. The lipase and hydrolase in figs can lower blood lipids and break them down, reducing fat deposition in blood vessels, thereby lowering blood pressure and preventing coronary heart disease.
2. Calabash
Calabash is rich in sugars, vitamins B and C, fats, proteins, etc., and has the effects of clearing heat, promoting urination, and lowering blood pressure.
3. Onion
The allyl hydro disulfide compound and a small amount of thionine in onions can lower blood lipids, prevent arteriosclerosis, and treat high blood pressure.
4. Apple
Apples contain more than 10 nutrients such as malic acid, vitamins A, B, C, etc. Regular consumption of apples is beneficial for hypertensive patients who consume too much salt.
5. Black Fungus
Black fungus contains sugars, fats, proteins, vitamins, and trace elements such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron. It is beneficial for replenishing qi and blood, cooling blood to stop bleeding, and lowering lipids and blood pressure.
6. Radish
Radish contains various vitamins, sugars, and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron. It has the effects of clearing heat, promoting urination, and cooling blood to stop bleeding, making it an excellent remedy for treating high blood pressure.
7. Skim Milk
Skim milk can provide calcium and vitamin D to the human body, significantly lowering blood pressure. Studies have shown that drinking two glasses of skim milk daily can help control blood pressure.
8. Milk
Milk is high in calcium. The calcium absorbed and utilized by the body can keep the arterial walls soft. According to relevant data, supplementing 1 gram of calcium daily can lower the blood pressure of hypertensive patients by 1-2 mmHg after 8 weeks.
9. Dark Chocolate
Eating about 30 calories of chocolate daily has the effect of lowering blood pressure. Studies have shown that dark chocolate contains flavonoids, which are well-known components for improving cardiovascular health, but experts do not recommend excessive consumption.
10. Pineapple
Pineapple juice is rich in proteolytic enzymes, which can effectively fight edema and resist rheumatism. Therefore, regular consumption of pineapple can promote fibrinolysis in the body, effectively lowering blood pressure.
11. Spinach
Spinach is an indispensable vegetable in a blood pressure-lowering diet. Spinach is rich in various vitamins, trace elements, and antioxidants, among which potassium plays a crucial role in regulating blood pressure. High sodium and low potassium are important factors in the development of hypertension, so dietary potassium supplementation is beneficial for lowering blood pressure.
12. Garlic
Garlic is one of the most effective dietary secrets for lowering blood pressure. The sulfur compounds rich in garlic help stabilize an enzyme in the human body, thereby avoiding the onset of hypertension. Multiple studies have found that people who regularly eat garlic have lower average blood pressure than other populations. Eating 2-3 cloves of garlic daily is the simplest and most effective way to lower blood pressure.
13. Wild Rice
In traditional Chinese medicine, wild rice is believed to have the effects of removing heat, quenching thirst, and promoting urination, making it especially suitable for consumption in summer. Pregnant women with high blood pressure can often eat wild rice to lower their blood pressure. Because wild rice is rich in dietary fiber and potassium, it has a supportive effect on treating hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Eating wild rice with dried mustard is even more effective for lowering blood pressure.
14. Kelp
Kelp contains a large amount of unsaturated fatty acids and mucilage, which can remove excess cholesterol attached to the human blood vessel walls. The dietary fiber alginic acid in kelp can promote the excretion of cholesterol, inhibit its absorption, and lower blood pressure. Kelp is rich in calcium, which not only reduces the human body's absorption of cholesterol but also has a blood pressure-lowering effect itself.
15. Celery
Researchers used a substance in celery that promotes the rapid breakdown and disappearance of fat, causing subjects to lose 3600-4900 grams in weight within a week by eating celery. The research results show that regular consumption of celery not only helps to lower blood lipids and blood sugar but also has the effect of preventing and treating obesity, fatty liver, and hypertension.
16. Potato
A blood pressure-lowering diet often cannot do without potatoes. Potatoes are low in fat, low in calories, and nutritious, rich in various antioxidants. Studies have found that potatoes are also an excellent source of the trace element potassium. Regular consumption of potatoes helps to lower blood pressure and protect the heart. Potatoes are best boiled or baked with their skin on, as these methods do not add fat or calories and do not destroy the healthy nutrients in potatoes.
17. Mung Bean
Mung beans are a good food and medicine for patients with high blood pressure, with the effects of lowering blood pressure and blood lipids.
18. Sunflower Seeds
All nuts and legumes are good for people's heart function, but when it comes to lowering blood pressure, sunflower seeds are in a class of their own. Sunflower seeds are considered a good source of dietary fiber, and only three grams are needed daily. Sunflower seeds provide comprehensive nutrition to the human body to lower blood pressure. However, it is also important to note that salted sunflower seeds should not be eaten in excess.
19. Banana
Banana is one of the ten foods that can make people happy, which has a positive significance for regulating the mood of hypertensive patients. At the same time, bananas can treat constipation and promote stomach digestion. According to research, bananas can treat high blood pressure because they are very rich in potassium, which can balance the high blood pressure caused by sodium. Eating more bananas can prevent hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Research shows that eating two bananas a day can effectively lower blood pressure by 10%.
20. Hawthorn
This is a common fruit in life and has a very positive effect on the recovery of patients with high blood pressure. According to research, hawthorn can promote food digestion, effectively prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases, and has the effects of dilating blood vessels, strengthening the heart, increasing coronary blood flow, improving heart vitality, exciting the central nervous system, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, softening blood vessels, and promoting urination and sedation. Therefore, hypertensive patients should eat more hawthorn in their daily lives to lower blood pressure.