Lower blood pressure through food? Tips for proper nutrition

People with high blood pressure (hypertension) often ask themselves: Which foods lower blood pressure? Unfortunately, there is no simple list for this. We reveal which diets help.

If you’ve searched for antihypertensive foods, you’ve probably come across many half-truths and scientifically questionable recommendations. We’ll tell you below whether the consumption of certain foods can actually lower blood pressure – or whether it ends up being without other foods.

Foods lowering blood pressure – they really do exist

Various medical studies suggest that certain foods can lower blood pressure:

• Bananas are antihypertensive in healthy test subjects who were exposed to cold stress in the experiment, according to an Indian study. The included potassium regulates the water balance and, according to the scientists, could counteract high blood pressure. A meta-study conducted by a WHO scientist confirms that Potassium has an antihypertensive effect Has. If you don’t like bananas, there are plenty of others too foods rich in potassium.
• cocoa According to the American Heart Association, it also lowers blood pressure. the Flavanols contained in cocoa According to the Düsseldorf University Hospital, they lower blood pressure and improve vascular function.
• A handful three times a day Raisins can lower blood pressure according to American researchers. Other studies indicate that there is also increased consumption by others dried fruits can lower blood pressure. The reason for this is not clear – the healthy snacks may just fill us up so we eat less other, unhealthy foods.
• Had in several studies Black seed oil antihypertensive effect – others could not prove this.

Certain foods such as garlic or thyme are said to lower blood pressure. However, there is hardly any scientific evidence for this. So before you rely on the antihypertensive effects of food, you should start with the causes. Because one thing is undisputed: wrong behavior and eating habits favor high blood pressure.

Food Lowering Blood Pressure: Possibly the Wrong Approach

Even if it sounds tempting to lower your blood pressure by snacking on chocolate or bananas containing cocoa, your high blood pressure may have a completely different cause than a poor diet.

The Bavarian State Ministry for the Environment and Consumer Protection names the following causes of high blood pressure:

• Obesity
• Excessive consumption of table salt
• increased alcohol consumption
• Sedentary lifestyle
• nicotine
• Chronic stress

Depending on whether any of these reasons apply to you, you can try these options:

1. If you are overweight, which leads to high blood pressure, it can be worthwhile to lose weight sustainably – both for the environment and for your body: by being too fresh Bio-Products, eat regional fruits and vegetables, which you can find in the Utopia seasonal calendar and bread, pasta and rice too Whole grain products grab. To find out exactly how you can lose weight healthily in the long term, please talk to your doctor.
2. Instead of table salt one Salt substitute try: You can easily do without the white crystal in both hearty and sweet dishes.
3. Do with the next Dry January with. Voluntarily abstaining from alcohol for a while improves your nutrient absorption, ensures better sleep and strengthens your immune system. Lower blood pressure is just one of many advantages.
4. Try new sports that you might enjoy. Long-distance hiking, Slow jogging, Plogging, or good old one yoga – Many sports are definitely very different from what you imagine and are great for beginners.
5. You already knew that, but: Of course, it is recommended for all aspects of health To become a non-smoker. We have a few tips on how to do this.
6. If you suffer from chronic stress, meditation will help. Here, too, there is a seemingly endless one Choice of meditation practicesthat could inspire you. Don’t get discouraged because too You can learn meditation. Meditation apps help you with it.

A “food” against high blood pressure: less salt

By limiting your salt consumption, you are doing your blood pressure a favor. You can decide how much salt you have cooked and baked yourself. It is particularly worthwhile to replace the following foods with a high salty content with fresh and home-cooked ones:

• Cured and smoked meat and fish products
• Sausage, canned sausage, cheese
• Ready-made soups and meals
• Seasonings such as table salt, herbal salt, stock cubes, liquid seasoning, gravy, soy sauce, ready-made dressings, mustard, ketchup, barbecue sauces
• Roasted peanuts, potato chips, snacks
• Bread and baked goods

You can easily make most of the sauces and dressings yourself and thus ensure the ecological and regional origin of the food used. Try one, for example homemade cream sauce, hollandaise sauce, fresh dill sauce, or one of many Sauce classics in vegan.

Even sugar-free ketchup you can make it yourself, or a regional one Rose hip ketchup in winter, when it’s not tomato season anyway.

Homemade snacks are particularly tasty and you can save a lot of salt in the process. Try for example roasted hazelnuts.

With the Bread recipes collection for hobby bakers you can also make your own low-salt bread.

Read more on Utopia:

• Storing potatoes: this is how it works
• Hokkaido, Butternut & Co: Which pumpkin can you eat with the skin on?
• 9 foods you’ve always stored incorrectly