High blood pressure can cause a person’s arteries to harden and thicken, resulting in an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. A diet high in salt is a risk factor for the condition developing, so making some changes to your diet is very important. High blood pressure can often be prevented or reduced by eating healthily – cutting down on the amount of salt in your food and eating plenty of fruit and vegetables. More specifically, individual foods have been found to have blood pressure lowering properties.

Foods rich in polyphenols have been found to help lower blood pressure

Foods rich in polyphenols have been found to help lower blood pressure and the overall risk of heart disease.

Polyphenols are natural plant compounds that are good for your heart.

One of the best foods for packing polyphenols is berries.

A small study saw middle-aged people eat berries for eight weeks. 

By the end of this time period they experienced improvements in different markers of health, including blood pressure.

Other foods that contain polyphenols are chocolate, fruits and vegetables.

Another study placed people with high blood pressure either on a low-polyphenol diet or a high-polyphenol diet containing berries, chocolate, fruits and vegetables. 

Those who consumed berries and the other polyphenol-rich foods showed improved markers of heart disease risk.

Polyphenol-rich foods to lower high blood pressure:

• Berries
• Chocolate
• Fruits
• Vegetables

One of the best fruits to help lower high blood pressure is kiwi.

A daily serving of kiwi can reduce blood pressure in people with even mildly elevated levels, according to a study. 

One of the best vegetables to eat for blood pressure is kale. 

Kale is just one of many leafy green vegetables, which are rich in nitrates and have been proven to help manage blood pressure.

Some research has suggested eating one to two servings of nitrate-rich vegetables every day can reduce high blood pressure for up to 24 hours.

When it comes to eating chocolate, dark chocolate has been found to have the most benefits for high blood pressure.

A review of 15 trials suggested cocoa-rich chocolate reduces blood pressure in people with high blood pressure. 

Source: Read Full Article