I want to start with a disclaimer that I am not a doctor or certified medical practitioner and my advice is based solely on my personal experiences. I do not claim that these methods are a sure shot cure for hypertension and if you are suffering from the condition you must seek the guidance of a reliable medical practitioner. Hypertension or High Blood Pressure is one of the most prevalent and concerning conditions across the globe. As per WHO 1 in 4 men and 1 in 5 women had hypertension in the year 2015. A chronic hypertension condition significantly increases the risk of heart ailments. Worst part is that you can have hypertension without exhibiting any symptoms as such. That is the reason it is also known as the “Silent Killer”. It is highly recommended that blood pressure measurements are taken regularly to ascertain that you are not suffering from or on the borderline of being hypertensive.
What causes Hypertension? Is it a disease? Many of us believe that it is a disease and once you get it you will have to be on life-long medications. This is farthest from the truth. From my own experience and people around me who got Hypertension but were able to control it without medication, I can tell that it definitely is worth trying natural ways to control your Blood Pressure before you panic and start popping those never ending pills.
Just like fever, hypertension is more of a symptom than disease. When we take medication for fever it suppresses the symptoms and the fever comes down but as soon as the effects of the medication are over the fever comes back. Same way when you pop the pills for Hypertension you are not really treating the root cause but suppressing the symptoms for a few hours. This leads you into the vicious cycle of being on pills forever to keep your blood pressure in check. High blood pressure is caused mainly by the inflammation (hardening) of arteries and there are many factors such as food habits, hereditary predisposition etc. that can cause elevated blood pressure. While many of the factors are beyond our control, food is something we can control. We basically are looking for food and drink that is anti-inflammatory and high in Potassium. For anti-inflammation we need to consume food with higher Omega 3 to Omega 6 fat ratio. Omega 3 is known to be anti-inflammatory whereas Omega 6, while an essential fat can cause inflammation.
Here is a list of Top 5 Foods that can lower your inflammation and help regularize your blood pressure
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Garlic – Garlic is a superfood with numerous benefits. Garlic is a known blood thinner and helps lower the blood pressure because of this property. It also helps lower the cholesterol. To get the maximum benefit for Blood Pressure, consume raw garlic by chewing it. Garlic has Sulphur containing compounds such as allicin that help with lowering the blood pressure. Allicin is produced when Garlic is crushed, chopped or chewed. If you can’t bear eating raw garlic, chop the garlic and leave it for at least 15 minutes before cooking it. That way you still retain most of the beneficial allicin that helps with the blood pressure. Cooking the garlic immediately after cutting / chopping it results in loss of its most beneficial nutrients for lowering the blood pressure.
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Flax Seeds – Flax seeds are one of the very few plant-based sources of high Omega 3 to Omega 6 fat ratio. They are also packed with several other nutrients and are a high source of dietary fiber. The high Omega 3 fatty acid content in Flax seed can be attributed to it lowering the blood pressure in individuals with hypertension. While Flax seeds have a favorable effect on lowering the blood pressure for people with hypertension they do not seem to lower the blood pressure for people with normal levels. A daily intake of 30 grams of flax seed for six months has shown to lower the blood pressure in people with hypertension by several points. The best way to consume Flax seed is by grinding it fresh and eating as whole Flax Seed isn’t easy on the stomach and doesn’t release all its nutrients.
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Chia Seeds – Chia Seeds just like Flax seeds are another super seeds and a good source of high Omega 3 to Omega 6 fat ratio. They also pack high amounts of other nutrients and dietary fiber. They help lower the blood pressure due to their high Omega 3 fatty acid content which acts as an anti-inflammatory agent for the arteries. Chia seeds are best consumed by soaking into water either overnight or for at least couple of hours to make it release its nutrients easily and easy to digest.
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Cherry Juice Concentrate – As per Science Daily News, Tart Montmorency Cherry Juice is known to significantly reduce high blood pressure, comparable even to the effects of prescribed medications! The researchers conducted a trial to show that blood pressure was reduced by 7% in men with hypertension who consumed Tart Montorency Cherry Juice, compared to the once who consumed a placebo. The main compounds in the cherry juice attributed to lowering the blood are their phenolic acids.
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Tea – As I had mentioned in the title, the 5th item of this list shouldn’t be a surprise to the readers of Teabuddy.ca. Tea in many forms such as Black and Green tea are known to have a favorable effect on lowering the blood pressure for people with hypertension. The main compound in tea that can be attributed to lowering the blood pressure is Flavonoids, a kind of polyphenolic compounds. The consumption of both Green and Black tea can help people within pre-hypertensive and hypertensive stages.
