High blood pressure or hypertension is a serious condition that affects millions of people around the world. In fact one in four adults suffers from hypertension. Here are a few foods that can lower high blood pressure:
The beetroot juice can lower high blood pressure, according to research at Queen Mary University (London, UK). The research team selected some volunteers and divided them into 2 groups. The first group received beetroot juice and the second received anti- hypertension drugs. All subjects were then monitored for 24 hours and went through medical examination. The results showed that beetroot juice and nitrate capsules were equally effective in reducing hypertension. 250 ml of juice are enough to get the benefits. However, before replacing your medication with beetroot juice, it is necessary to consult your doctor. Chili is also a food that lowers high blood pressure: among the qualities attributed to hot pepper, is the ability to lower blood pressure. A group of researchers at the Chinese Third Military Medical University found that capsaicin, the substance that makes chili burn, can also relax blood vessels. The research (published in the journal Cell Metabolism), describes that capsaicin acts by activating a channel found in the lining of the vessels. This leads to an increased production of nitric oxide, a molecule that protects the vessels from inflammation and dysfunction. However, further studies are needed to identify how many peppers you should eat each day to trigger this positive effect. Cocoa can be an effective home remedy: a study by the University of Cologne in Germany which was published in the Journal of American Medical Association found that if you eat six grams of dark chocolate every day (the equivalent of 30 calories), you can lower hypertension and boost your cardiovascular system. The research team recruited 44 volunteers aged between 56 and 73 years that suffered from hypertension. Half of the patients were asked to eat a small amount of dark chocolate, and the other half the same amount of white chocolate. The experiment lasted for 18 weeks, and showed that dark chocolate was very beneficial. Thanks to the polyphenols (the antioxidants contained in dark cocoa), blood pressure was reduced and blood sugar remained unchanged. More specifically, in the first group systolic pressure dropped by 2.9 mm Hg and diastolic by 1.9 mm. This decrease may seem insignificant, but it has a great value considering that a reduction of 3 mm Hg in pressure, lowers the relative risk of stroke mortality by 8%, the risk of coronary heart disease by 5% and the risk of overall mortality by 4%. To ensure that you take the right amount of polyphenols, it is not necessary to eat excessive amounts of chocolate and risk weight gain and other health problems. Just 30 grams per day are enough.
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