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What Are The Best Foods For High Blood Pressure?

Medically reviewed by Karina Tolentino, RD

If you have high blood pressure (hypertension), the foods you eat can play a significant role in helping you manage the condition.

Over time, high blood pressure can damage the arteries and increase the risk of kidney disease, stroke, and heart attack. Research shows that a diet high in foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in sugar, meat, and alcohol can significantly reduce blood pressure.

This article lists some of the best foods to help lower high blood pressure and some to avoid.

Fruits

Getting four to five servings of fruits daily is an important element of the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet.

Berries

Anthocyanins, the pigments that give some produce their red, blue, or purple color, may help prevent hypertension. In one study, participants who ate the highest amounts of anthocyanins, mostly from blueberries and strawberries, experienced an 8% reduction in the risk of high blood pressure.

A daily intake of wild blueberry powder is linked to lower 24-hour ambulatory systolic blood pressure (the top number of a blood pressure reading, measuring the pressure in your arteries with each heartbeat, taken as you go about your day at home). It's also linked to a lower incidence of future heart disease risk in healthy older adults.

Citrus

Flavonoids in citrus fruit may help lower blood pressure and offer some protection against cardiovascular disease.

Research suggests drinking orange juice regularly may help manage blood pressure in people with early hypertension. Common citrus fruits include:

Bananas

Potassium can help lower blood pressure by lessening the effects of sodium and reducing tension in blood vessel walls. One medium-sized banana has about 226 milligrams (mg) of potassium. Most adult males need 3,400 mg daily, while most women need 2,600 mg.

Kiwi

Kiwifruit is packed with bioactive substances that may help lower blood pressure. One study found that people with moderately elevated blood pressure who ate three kiwis a day for eight weeks had lower blood pressure compared to those who ate an apple a day.

Watermelon

Watermelon contains potassium, lycopene, and citrulline, all of which promote heart health and may help lower blood pressure. It can also help you feel full while adding a few calories.

Vegetables

Some vegetables, such as beets, carrots, leafy greens, and more can help lower high blood pressure.

Beets

Beets are loaded with nitrates, which have been shown to reduce blood pressure. If you're drinking beet juice, watch out for added sugars, though. These juices can add a lot of extra calories, and excess weight works against blood pressure control.

Leafy Green Vegetables

Leafy greens are among the highest in nitrates, which can help lower blood pressure and protect against heart disease and stroke. These veggies include:

Cabbage

Celery

Collard greens

Kale

Romaine lettuce

Spinach

Swiss chard

Carrots

Carrots contain fiber, potassium, beta-carotene, and other compounds to help lower the risk of high blood pressure and promote heart health.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes and tomato products are lycopene-rich, which can improve blood pressure and cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease and mortality (death).

Broccoli

Broccoli is full of flavonoids, which help reduce blood pressure. One study found that people who ate four or more servings of broccoli a week were less likely to have high blood pressure than those who ate broccoli once a month or less.

Potatoes

Potatoes contain an abundance of potassium. One medium white baked potato with the skin on provides about 20% of the daily value for potassium.

Salmon and Other Fatty Fish

Fatty fish are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help lower inflammation and blood pressure. Experts recommend eating two or three servings of fatty fish every week. Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids include:

Anchovies

Bluefin tuna

Herring

Mackerel

Salmon

Sardines

Striped bass

Whitefish

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts are rich in arginine, which your body uses to convert nitrates into nitric oxide, reducing blood pressure. Research suggests eating nuts several times a week may significantly lower the risk of heart disease. Nuts and seeds high in arginine include:

Legumes

Legumes, such as beans, peas, chickpeas, and lentils, are rich in dietary fiber, bioactive peptides, and flavonoid polyphenols, all linked to lower blood pressure. And they're associated with lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Oats

Oats contain beta-glucan and other components that may help prevent and manage high blood pressure. Oats may also help reduce other heart disease risk factors such as high cholesterol and triglycerides, and diabetes. Oatmeal keeps you feeling full longer than many other breakfast choices and goes well with other blood pressure–friendly foods such as berries, nuts, and seeds.

Olive Oil

Numerous studies show that olive oil, high in oleic acid and antioxidant polyphenols, can help manage blood pressure. Olive oil is also high in monounsaturated fat, which helps improve cholesterol. Research suggests that higher olive oil consumption is associated with a lower risk of heart disease.

Eggs

You may be concerned about eating eggs since one fried egg provides 61% of the daily value (DV) of cholesterol. Studies on eggs and heart health have had conflicting results, with some suggesting that eating eggs doesn't significantly affect blood pressure either way.

Eggs are nutrient-dense, and the DASH diet includes them as a source of lean protein. If you enjoy eggs, consume no more than one egg or two egg whites daily.

Lean Meat

Following the DASH diet, you can have up to six 1-ounce servings of lean meats, fish, poultry, and eggs daily. Some examples of lean meats are:

Skinless chicken or turkey

Salmon, tuna, trout

Lean cuts of beef, pork, and lamb

Yogurt

Yogurt is chock-full of micronutrients, including potassium. One study found that even small amounts of yogurt can help lower blood pressure. Participants with hypertension who regularly consumed yogurt had blood pressure readings 7 points lower than participants who didn't.

Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is rich in flavanols, which help relax blood vessels, improve blood flow, and reduce blood pressure and inflammation. And dark chocolate has 2 to 3 times more flavanols than milk chocolate.

Herbs and Spices

Using lots of herbs and spices may be good for your heart. One study found that using about 1.3 teaspoons of herbs and spices daily was associated with lower blood pressure after four weeks.

Fermented Foods

Fermented foods contain probiotics, antioxidants, and vitamins that benefit overall health. These foods may also be linked to lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and risk of heart disease. Examples of fermented foods are:

Kefir

Kimchi

Miso

Olives and pickles

Sauerkraut

Sourdough

Yogurt

Foods to Avoid With High Blood Pressure

Consuming foods with salt and caffeine, processed foods, and more should be avoided if you have high blood pressure.

Salt

Eating a lot of salt makes you retain fluids. That increases blood volume and raises blood pressure. Eating less salt is associated with lower blood pressure and morbidity (being unhealthy) and mortality from heart disease.

The DASH diet suggests keeping sodium at 2,300 mg or less per day. Lowering it to 1,500 mg lowers blood pressure even more. Foods high in sodium include snacks, processed foods, and restaurant meals.

Caffeine

If you already have hypertension, coffee can lead to a short‐term increase in blood pressure. And for those with severe hypertension, heavy coffee drinking may increase the risk of heart disease mortality. Caffeinated green tea doesn't seem to have the same effect.

Alcohol

Drinking too much alcohol, including red wine, can increase blood pressure. If you do drink, limit drinking to no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.

Processed Foods

Because salt is a preservative, processed foods are often high in sodium. This includes many deli foods, fast foods, frozen foods and canned, premixed, and packaged foods. Nutrients may be lost during processing. Checking food labels can help you choose healthier products.

Summary

To help lower blood pressure naturally, what you eat can play a significant role. A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains and low in saturated fats, sugar, and alcohol can help lower your blood pressure. A heart-healthy diet can help manage blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. A healthcare provider can recommend other lifestyle changes that may help.

Read the original article on Verywell Health.

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How Research Into Small Blood Vessels May Help Prevent Stroke, Vascular Dementia

Researchers are looking into the potential causes of cerebral small vessel disease by growing small blood vessel models in a lab.

They said they hope to discover potential treatments for the condition, which can occur in people who have diseases such as high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

Experts say the findings are promising, but they caution that the research still has a long ways to go.

Scientists at Cambridge University in England have grown small blood vessel-like models in the lab to find out what makes them leak in individuals with certain medical conditions that increase the risk of vascular dementia and stroke.

The results of that study were published today in the journal Stem Cell Reports.

There are two main types of cerebral small vessel disease (SVD).

The most common is associated with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes and often occurs in middle-aged individuals.

The other rare form is inherited and usually found in people in their mid-30s. One cause is a mutation in a gene called COL4.

In their study, scientists from the Victor Philip Dahdaleh Heart and Lung Research Institute at Cambridge took skin cells from people with the rare form of SVD that's caused by mutations in the COL4 gene.

They used these to create induced pluripotent stem cells, which can develop into almost any cell in the body.

The researchers used these cells to form new cells and created a model of the disease found in the brain vessels.

The scientists reported that the mutations in this form of SVD caused disruptions in the extracellular matrix, the intricate support system surrounding cells. This disruption particularly impacted tight junctions, which caused the blood vessels to become leaky.

The scientists also found that too much production of molecules called matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which are needed to maintain the structure of the extracellular matrix, was associated with the disruption they observed.

The team treated the cells with drugs that inhibit MMPs. They used antibiotic doxycycline, the anti-cancer drug marimastat, or both to do this. The researchers said that inhibiting the MMPs with the drugs stopped the leaking and reversed the damage. However, they noted that these drugs can have serious side effects,

"This is a basic research study focused on improving the understanding of the disease and identifying new targets to develop a novel therapeutic approach in the future," Alessandra Granata, PhD, a senior research associate at Cambridge and an author of the study, told Medical News Today. "Thus, it does not directly impact the patients, but we hope it will in the future if we identify and/or develop drugs that work in our model and can be taken to clinical trial."

"We are currently testing a panel of specific MMP (matrix metalloproteinases) that appear to contribute to the disease progression inhibitors provided by AstraZeneca as part of the OpenInnovation program in our in vitro model," Granata added. "These inhibitors are for in vitro use only, but if they turned out to be effective in our system, they could be used to develop drugs that work in humans in the future."

"We are also looking at different approaches to inhibit the MMP using RNA silencing technology, and we have already established a collaboration with Dr. Paul Holloway at Oxford University and Evox therapeutics," Granata continued." "The strength of our SVD models is that we can test these technologies in a fast and effective way in a relevant cell model, which could greatly expedite the development and discovery of new treatments for SVD."

The scientists note that when new drugs become available, their model can be used to test them on SVD.

The information gleaned from this study can go beyond small cell disease, experts say. It helps to further the understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and vascular dementia.

"These research findings are interesting and have important implications for Neuroprotective strategies," said Dr. José Morales, a vascular neurologist and neurointerventional surgeon at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa California who was not involved in the study.

"The data provide evidence for the mechanisms underlying small vessel disease, neurodegenerative disease, and vascular dementia," he told Medical News Today.

Dr. Sean Savitz, a professor and director of the Institute for Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases at UTHealth Houston, regularly treats people with SVD.

He told Medical News Today that he is impressed with the study findings but cautions that the scientists looked at cases that were rare genetic mutations.

"This is an elegant study that suggests some of the biological and molecular changes that might underlie the pathology we see in patients with small vessel disease (SVD) in the brain. SVD is very common, especially in older patients with vascular risk factors," said Savitz, who was not involved in the study.

"Using skin cells to recapitulate the conditions in small vessel disease is very interesting," he added. "It was exciting to see that a commonly used antibiotic could reverse some of the changes observed. However, we have to keep in mind that the cells were derived from patients with rare genetic mutations."

The researchers reported that SVD contributes to almost half (45%) of all dementia cases worldwide and about one-fifth of ischemic strokes.

These occur when a blood clot stops blood and oxygen flow to the brain. They are the most common type of stroke.

Cerebral small vessel disease is the most common, chronic, and progressive vascular disease, according to an article in Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine. It affects the arterioles, capillaries, and small veins supplying the white matter and other deep structures of the brain.

"SVD causes cognitive impairment, ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, problems with mobility, and neuropsychiatric symptoms," said Dr. Shae Datta, the co-director of NYU Langone's Concussion Center in New York and director of cognitive neurology at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island.

"Regular exercise, healthy diet, Mediterranean diet, folic acid, and vitamin B12 and avoiding adverse lifestyle factors such as smoking, excess alcohol or high dietary sodium, are all associated with having fewer SVD features in observational studies," Datta, who was not involved in the study, told Medical News Today.

With SVD, there are usually multiple coexisting conditions, according to Dr. Catherine Arnold, a neurologist at Northwell Lenox Hill in New York who was not involved in the study. These can interfere with treatment.

"The results of this study allow a better understanding of some of the potential mechanisms behind the development of small vessel disease (SVD) and potential mechanisms for future treatments," Arnold told Medical News Today.

"However, given the likelihood of multiple co-existing processes that contribute to the disease, this study alone does not provide enough clarity or insight to change practice entirely," she added.

"We would need to know in the future whether the findings apply to the majority of patients with cerebral small vessel disease associated with vascular risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes," Savitz said. "Thus, we cannot immediately apply the information from these experiments to the clinical setting but the study paves the way for specific directions we should pursue in the future to develop treatments. Currently, we have no specific treatments aside from vascular risk factor modifications – controlling blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol and adhering to a healthy diet."

Treatment often involves treating the underlying cause, such as practicing preventative strategies or treating an ischemic stroke.

"Secondary prevention measures typically include antithrombotics, glycemic control, antihypertensives, and statins, as well as promoting wellness, social connectedness, a Mediterranean diet, and regular exercise," Morales said. "Compliance can often be an issue, in part due to medication side effects. Is it effective? Our current strategies are supported by evidence implying their effectiveness in mitigating some of the effects and progression of vascular disease, but there is undoubtedly a need for precision-based medical strategies that target these mechanistic pathways with more efficacy."

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