High blood pressure can occur with little to no indication leading to various dangerous health conditions.
Around one in four brits suffer from the condition, but many not realise it, as it "rarely has noticeable symptoms". If left untreated, the "silent disease" raises the risks of serious and sometimes deadly issues like strokes and heart attacks.
When elevated too high, blood pressure puts extra strain on the body, particularly the blood vessels and vital organs like the heart and brain. The only way to figure out your blood pressure is to get it checked by a professional, or invest in an at home blood pressure machine.
As a general guide, ideal blood pressure is usually considered to be between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg, while the target for over-80s is below 150/90mmHg.
If levels are high, there are steps you can take to lower blood pressure, including regular exercise, and changes to your diet - including eating certain foods.
Here are some foods you can eat that can help lower your blood pressure, as reported by the Mirror.
Blueberries
A recent study has found that eating just a handful of blueberries a day can lower blood pressure levels.
Blueberries are a good way to lower blood pressure due to how they increase levels of nitric oxide in the blood - this dilates arteries helping to ease the cardiovascular strain.
Alongside that, they’re rich in polyphenol antioxidants and actually can work in a way similar to ACE inhibitor drugs - by blocking angiotensin converting enzyme.
Nuts
Nuts are concentrated sources of vitamins, minerals like magnesium, antioxidants, omega-3 and monounsaturated fats.
These are all really good for the body, with eating unsalted nuts every day said to help improve coronary heart disease risk factors like blood pressure.
Mylowerbloodpressure.com claims they’re so good for you that substituting 28g of nut oils a day for equivalent calories can reduce the risk of heart attack by as much as 30 per cent.
Some nuts have specific benefits like walnuts, which are rich in omega-3 and regular eating can lower levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol.
Apples
You know the saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, well there actually may be some truth to it.
Apples are a rich source of antioxidant flavonoid - which is very good for you and your heart. Studies show people who eat more apples also have significantly lower blood pressures than those who don’t - but in this case the apples might just reflect a generally healthier lifestyle.
But, it’s important to eat the peel as this is where all the healthy bits that help with lowering blood pressure are.
Avocados
Avocados are a brilliant way to get healthy monounsaturated oils, essential fatty acids,cholesterol-lowering plant sterols, vitamin E and more that all help lower blood pressure.
Eating them as often as you can has been shown to contribute to increasing levels of ‘good’ cholesterol within as little as a week.
Green tea
Brits famously love their tea, but it might be worth swapping out your usual cuppa for something that could help your health as well.
Around a third of the dry weight of certain teas consist of powerful flavonoid antioxidants which help ease blood pressure.
Regular green tea drinkers are said to have a lower risk of hypertension - but drinking it often is key to reaping its health benefits.
Similarly, however tempting, don’t add sugar.
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