High blood pressure is bad for the heart, kidneys, brain, and eyes. Medicines can control it but it comes with side effects. High salt intake can worsen it.
Certain foods can increase blood pressure. But there are some food items and drinks that can help lower it. Which are the best drinks to lower elevated blood pressure?
High blood pressure: the silent killer
Blood pressure should be within the normal values for age. Due to genetics or other reasons, it can rise and remain elevated persistently. This has a detrimental effect on vital organs of the body.
High blood pressure can damage the retina of the eye and lead to vision distortion and blindness. Similarly, high blood pressure can damage the arteries of the kidneys and lead to functional loss.
It can affect the heart and its arteries and be the root cause of ischaemic heart disease and heart attacks. The raised blood pressure can affect the blood supply to the brain and lead to brain bleeds and blocks and stroke.
Beetroot juice (Source: Healthy recipes 101)Stress and an unhealthy lifestyle can cause high blood pressure. Certain foods such as those containing high salt are also bad.
But some certain foods and drinks can help to bring blood pressure low. Which are the best drinks to reduce high blood pressure (bp)?
1. Beetroot juice: one of the best drinks for high bp
Beets have nitrates and the body converts these to nitric oxide. This dilates the blood vessels and lowers the blood pressure. Dietitians Lyssie Lakatos and Tammy Lakatos Shames have authored a book The Nutrition Twins’ Veggie Cure and in it they state:
“Nitric oxide relaxes blood vessels and dilates them, decreasing blood pressure,”
“This can offer additional benefits for your workout since beet juice helps blood vessels dilate, increases blood flow to muscles during exercise, and decreases the number of oxygen muscles needs as they’re able to work more efficiently and move faster.”
But it should become part of the daily diet.
2. Green tea
As regards the benefits of green tea, the twin’s state:
“You can lower your blood pressure significantly in 12 weeks by drinking green tea,”
“Although it’s hard to pinpoint how much tea it takes, research shows that you can lower your systolic blood pressure by 2.6 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 2.2 mm Hg and it appears that three to four cups of tea daily will do the trick.”
3. Tart cherry juice
Tart cherry juice (Source: Health line)The twins advise people to add tart cherry juice to smoothies, yogurt, or oatmeal. They advise:
“Cherry juice’s effect is so powerful that it is comparable to blood pressure-lowering medications,”
“One study found that when men with high blood pressure drank cherry juice, it lowered their blood pressure by 7%.”
4. Green smoothie
Green leafy vegetables can control bp. The Nutrition Twins explain:
“Leafy greens like kale, spinach, and lettuce are rich in the blood pressure regulating nutrients, potassium, and magnesium,”
Their nitrate content is also beneficial. One can combine green tea and a green smoothie for a double and better effect.
5. No alcohol or Alcohol in moderation
Green smoothie (Source: Jessica in the kitchen)One can have alcohol but it should be in moderation. And the limit is one alcoholic drink for a woman and two alcoholic drinks for men. As regards it, the nutritionists recommend:
“This is good news for many; if you were drinking a good deal more before, you can lower your blood pressure as much as 4mm Hg by drinking moderately,”
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And what is one alcoholic drink? It amounts to 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, or just 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor. The best is to not drink at all and be sober.
And if you exceed the above limits, it could increase blood pressure. Therefore, no or less hard drinking is good for the body.