What Food Lowers Blood Pressure Immediately?

One of the most pervasive health conditions across the globe especially in developed and developing countries is high blood pressure (HBP) or hypertension. It is a condition when the pressure on the blood vessels becomes above the normal range. A person can continue to have high blood pressure for many years without showing any symptoms.

When you have uncontrolled high blood pressure then it can give rise to some severe health problems that include stroke and heart attack. It can also damage your arteries besides damaging your heart, brain, kidneys, eyes, and cause sexual dysfunction.⁽¹⁾

People who do consume lots of fast food or salt remain prone to high blood pressure. Again, lack of physical activity too increases the risk of high blood pressure. Hence, it is important for people not to intake foods that are high in sugar, salt, and trans-fats. In this context, it also becomes extremely important to know the kind of foods that helps lower the blood pressure immediately.

When you make changes to your diet then you can lessen high blood pressure. According to research, some foods are capable of lowering blood pressure immediately and they are as follows:^(1,2)

• Berries Helps in Lowering Blood Pressure Immediately: Berries, like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries comprise polyphenols and they are excellent for your heart. You can eat berries as a sweet treat after you have finished your meals or in the form of snacks too.
  
• Role of Bananas in Lowering Blood Pressure: Bananas comprise lots of potassium and they can manage hypertension extremely well. Adults need to intake nearly 4700 mg of potassium daily. Some other potassium-rich foods are tomatoes, avocado, tuna, beans, mushrooms, halibut, sweet potatoes, honeydew melon, and cantaloupe.
  
• Dark Chocolate: When you eat dark chocolate, then it helps in lowering your blood pressure immediately as it helps in releasing endorphins. Again, dark chocolate has got lots of polyphenols and antioxidants too that can lower blood pressure. However, you must consume dark chocolates that have got nearly 70% content of cocoa to get these benefits.
  
• Chamomile or Hibiscus Tea Helps in Lowering Blood Pressure: Drinking a cup of chamomile or hibiscus tea can reduce blood pressure.
  
• Kiwis as a Great Food to Lower Blood Pressure: When you take kiwi regularly, then it will reduce your blood pressure levels. When people eat 3 kiwis per day for eight weeks then it can lessen both diastolic and systolic blood pressure remarkably. Researchers have found out that kiwis contain bioactive substances and they cause the lowering of blood pressure.
  
• Oats as a Food to Lower Blood Pressure: Oats comprise beta-glucan, a kind of fiber and it lessens blood pressure levels. When you consume enough beta-glucan fiber then it lessens both diastolic and systolic blood pressure.
  

It is extremely important to control the high blood pressure as it helps in preventing coronary heart disease, heart failure, and strokes. For controlling the blood pressure levels, you need to exercise daily, eat healthy, quit smoking and drinking. These things will help you lessen your stress levels. Again, it is also important to go through an annual checkup.⁽⁴⁾ It is also important to control the sodium intake. According to American Heart Association, the daily sodium intake recommendations is no more than 1500mg.⁽⁵⁾ However, people often go way above this limit. Sodium is known to increase water retention in the body and thus can increase the blood pressure levels.

For keeping your blood pressure levels in check, you need to include some foods, like seeds, leafy greens, carrots, citrus fruits, fatty fish, and lentils in your meals. You need to follow a strict healthy eating plan that has foods that are lower in sodium.^(2,3) Additionally, keep your pharmacist, nurse, doctor, or health care providers informed of the readings of your blood pressure.

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