Studies show – these 5 have an effect
Berlin. A healthy diet can help regulate blood pressure. The nutrition expert recommends these 5 blood pressure-lowering foods.
High blood pressure does not appear overnight, but rather it is the result of a “chronic, gradual development,” says nutritionist Dr. Matthias Riedl. And this development is fueled by an incorrect diet, says the expert. The good news: “High blood pressure is reversible if you take the right measures.” The most important thing is a healthy diet with foods that lower blood pressure. Dr. Riedl reveals which foods should be on the menu every day.
Our expert
Dr. Matthias Riedl is a nutritional doctor, diabetologist and medical director of Medicum Hamburg. Since 2015 he has been part of the NDR program “Die Ernährungs-Docs”, which he conceived, in which Dr. Riedl develops nutritional strategies for specific patient cases together with other physicians. Several accompanying books have been published for the program. In addition, Dr. Riedl has been running the podcast “So geht gesunde Ernährung” (This is how healthy nutrition works) in collaboration with the Funke Media Group since 2022.
What should you not eat if you have high blood pressure?
The causes of high blood pressure are varied – genes, chronic stress, lack of exercise and obesity all play a role. Our diet is also an important factor: “The wrong diet increases blood pressure,” the expert emphasizes. Avoiding unhealthy foods and eating a healthy diet blood pressure lowering diet is “a huge measure” that can be used.
The first and most effective step is to Reduce salt consumption – that can make a difference “like night and day”. Salt is one of the blood pressure stimulators, especially in people who are genetically sensitive to salt. Their blood pressure rises when they consume a lot of salt. It is recommended that not more than six grams (about a teaspoon) of salt daily. However, this is often exceeded. According to Dr. Riedl, this is also due to ready-made products that often contain more than 2.5 grams of salt.
Blood pressure: The most important questions at a glance
What is blood pressure?
The heart must pump blood into the vessels with sufficient pressure to supply every cell. The force that the blood exerts on the vessel wallswhen it flows into the arteries and veins is called blood pressure. How high the pressure is is determined on the one hand by how strongly the heart is pumping and on the other hand by how healthy the vessels are: in the case of arteriosclerosis, for example, the blood pressure rises because the deposits represent obstacles to the blood flow.
If the pressure in the blood vessels is permanently increased, it is called high blood pressure. Chronic high blood pressure causes the arteries to calcify and become increasingly less elastic, which increases the risk of heart disease.
What do the two blood pressure values mean?
Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury, or mmHG for short – HG is the chemical symbol for mercury. Two values are always measured: the systolic and diastolic blood pressureThe first value is at the front and indicates how strong the pressure is when the heart pumps blood into the body. This is also known as systole. The second value describes the lowest pressure in the relaxation phase, diastole, when the heart fills with blood.
What blood pressure is normal – and when does it become high blood pressure?
Blood pressure is subject to natural fluctuations and changes throughout the day. In the morning, for example, it is slightly higher than in the evening and at night. In order to obtain an accurate value, blood pressure must be measured at different times. A blood pressure of 120/80 is optimal, values of 130 to 139 to 85 to 89 are highly normal. If values above 140/90mmHg measured, it is high blood pressure.
Diet for high blood pressure: lots of vegetables, little meat
Anyone who wants to lower their blood pressure should avoid red and processed meat, advises Dr. Riedl. It often contains Nitrite curing salt. Small amounts of white meat and fish are better, as they provide vascular-protecting omega-3 fatty acids. The best diet for high blood pressure is vegetable-basedwith legumes and nuts. This can also reduce other risk factors for high blood pressure, such as obesity and high cholesterol levels.
People who suffer from high blood pressure should base their diet largely on vegetables.
© iStock | alvarez
Vegetables are particularly important. Not only because they have an antioxidant effect and can therefore counteract arteriosclerosis. “Vegetables have a preventive effect on high blood pressure in many ways, or even a therapeutic effect. This is because vegetables contain a lot of potassium And potassium is the natural enemy of salt,” says Dr. Riedl.
A recent study has shown that potassium chloride, when used as a replacement for only a quarter of conventional salt (sodium chloride) in the diet, Risk of cardiovascular disease and significantly reduces mortality. Almost 21,000 Chinese adults were examined over several years, including people with high blood pressure.
Which foods lower blood pressure?
Lots of vegetables, no processed foods and little saltThese are the cornerstones of a healthy, vascular-protecting diet. If you follow these, you will do a lot to keep your blood pressure in the normal range. In addition, it is a good idea to regularly Groceries to eat the lower blood pressure can – these five can have an impact:
Also interesting
1. Arugula helps lower blood pressure
Any kind of vegetable is good for blood pressure. But vegetables that contain a lot of Nitrates contain, says Dr. Riedl. The nitrogen compounds occur naturally in the soil and are used by plants to build proteins. In the human body, nitrate is converted into nitrite, which has a vasodilating effect and thus ensures that blood pressure drops.
High levels of nitrate are found in Cabbage and leafy vegetablese.g. in spinach, lamb’s lettuce and lettuce. However, rocket is at the top with nitrate levels of well over 1,000 milligrams per kilogram.
2. Beetroot as a blood pressure lowering food
The nutritionist also counts beetroot among the foods that lower blood pressure, as it – like root vegetables in general – also contain high amounts of nitrate. The effect of nitrates in general and beetroot in particular on blood pressure was the subject of a Meta-study from 2013As a result, the researchers concluded that appropriate dietary supplements improve both diastolic and systolic blood pressure positively influenced.
In a recent study, British researchers were able to show that beetroot can significantly reduce systolic blood pressure in people with lung disease. The group of test subjects who consumed 70 ml of beetroot juice with 400 milligrams of nitrate daily had blood pressure that was 4.5 mmHg lower after 12 weeks, and thus significantly lower than the comparison group.
3. Eggplants can have a positive effect on blood pressure and heart
According to Dr. Riedl, eggplants are also among the foods that have a blood pressure lowering effect. Studies indicate that their regular consumption can even good for the heart and can reduce the risk of heart disease. This is due to the Anthocyanin – a natural dye that belongs to the group of Flavonoids It colors the fruits and flowers of plants red, blue and purple and has a strong antioxidant effect. Among vegetables, purple carrots and red cabbage are also rich in anthocyanins.
According to a meta-analysis from 2020, several studies have so far shown that plants with anthocyanins and preparations made from them can lower blood pressure, especially systolic blood pressure. However, the result is not generalizable, emphasize the study authors. Whether a positive effect occurs depends on various (individual) factors.
Scientific studies have shown that eggplants can lower blood pressure.
© Getty Images | TanyaLovus
4. Blueberries can lower blood pressure
Anthocyanin is not only found in vegetables, but also in fruit. It is found in high quantities in many types of berries. As can be seen from the meta-analysis mentioned above, the following berries have the highest anthocyanin content:
- Chokeberries (Aronia): over 400 ml/100 g
- blackcurrants, blueberries and raspberries: over 100 mg/100 g
- Blackberries, cherries: over 50 mg/100 g
British researchers from King’s College in London have shown in a small study that berries containing anthocyanins could help to lower blood pressure: After four weeks, the test subjects who drank a juice made from 200 grams of blueberries every day showed a an average of 5 mmHg lower systolic blood pressure Just two hours after drinking the juice, the elasticity of the subjects’ upper arm artery increased.
The researchers suspected that the anthocyanins in the berries were the key to the effect. To prove this, they conducted a second study. The test subjects then drank either a drink with purified anthocyanins, a blueberry drink or a drink with certain nutrients from blueberries. The result: An improvement in vascular function was only found in the first group.
5. Lower blood pressure with food: Nuts have a positive effect
Anyone who wants to lower their blood pressure should include nuts in their diet, recommends Dr. Riedl. Scientific studies support this. In general, nuts are considered to be heart-healthy foods because they are extremely rich in nutrients. Omega-3 fatty acids is said to have a protective effect on the cardiovascular system.
Omega-3 supplements as a risk for heart patients
Omega-3 fatty acids can be beneficial to health when consumed through food. However, this does not always apply to corresponding food supplements. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) reports on clinical studies in which omega-3 supplements increased the risk of atrial fibrillation in people with heart disease – the risk was greater the higher the dose.
A 2019 study specifically showed that walnuts have a blood pressure-lowering effect. The researchers looked at how diet affects blood pressure when 15 percent of daily energy needs are covered by walnuts. To do this, they recruited 236 people, most of whom suffered from high blood pressure. In the test group systolic blood pressure fell by 3.8 to 8.5 mmHgThe control group was only able to improve their blood pressure slightly.
Important: A healthy diet is an important part of the treatment and prevention of high blood pressure. Blood pressure-lowering foods in particular can make a contribution to this, but in the case of consistently high blood pressure values, they cannot replace drug treatment, but only complement it – those affected should always first speak to their doctor about necessary treatment steps.
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