What Fruits are Good for High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure is the leading cause of death in Americans, leading to elevated risk factors for heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and blindness. The National Institute for Health recommends daily exercise and a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables, and particularly those foods containing potassium, calcium and magnesium to lower your risk of high blood pressure. So, what fruits in particular provide the highest levels of these three factors?
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DASH
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The National Institute of Health recommends the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan as a key strategy for reducing high blood pressure. This diet calls for a reduction in salt or sodium as an essential first step, followed by lowering fat and sugar intake and increasing fiber through whole grains, fruits and vegetables. The slogan "five a day" was once thought sufficient to cover the recommended intake of fruits and veggies for all people, but as a result of the NIH's DASH study, scientists now know that five may not be the right number for every person. The right amount will depend on the age, physical activity level and sex of the individual. You can find a simple online calculator that will help you figure out how much you need at www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov.
Potassium
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Research has shown that potassium may not only help prevent high blood pressure, but may, in fact, contribute to lowering blood pressure. Bananas, apricots, prunes, dates, cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberries and tomatoes are rich in potassium. If you get three servings of these per day you are probably getting enough potassium. Be careful not to supplement your diet with potassium, as too much dietary potassium can have deleterious effects, particularly on those who are elderly or have kidney disorders.
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Calcium
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One fruit stands out as a good source of calcium. The venerable orange provides a good calcium charge served whole or in juice.
Magnesium
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Magnesium is harder to come by in fruit, but two stand out as good sources. Bananas are an excellent source of magnesium as are avocados. Avocados are, like tomatoes, a crossover fruit/veggie that serves admirably no matter what you call it.
Summary
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Research has shown that potassium may actually help lower blood pressure, but potassium should be considered as only part of your total dietary pattern. In fact, the dietary pattern may be more important than the individual elements of the diet. Factors such as salt intake, amount and type of dietary fat, cholesterol, protein and fiber, as well as minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium appear to work together to affect blood pressure. Researchers attribute changes in blood pressure to certain patterns of food consumption rather than to individual foods.
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