Foods to regulate blood pressure

Hypertension increases the risk of cardiovascular or brain disease. These foods provide potassium or antioxidants that reduce artery tension.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is increasingly common in developed countries and a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease or stroke.

Because tension is the force that blood exerts against the walls of your arteries when your heart pumps it, the factors that influence are many. At Clinica Las Mercedes we have several services that can help with these symptoms.

Hypertension may occur:

By increased blood volume, due to renal impairment and poor regulation of sodium, although the liver and spleen are also involved in blood volume levels;
Poor condition of the arteries or calcium buildup in the walls;
By alteration of vasodilation and vasoconstriction due to stress, stimulants or poor diet.

What foods to avoid and which to boost

Foods to avoid include sugars, alcohol, liquorice, spicy, sodium and the products that contain it (sausages, cheeses, preserves, etc.).

It replaces salt with moderate amounts of seaweed, tamarind or miso and sea water, or spices (not spicy), aromatic herbs and garlic.

In addition to avoiding some foods, we should also increase the intake of other foods that promote blood pressure control:

Potassium-rich foods, as potassium compensates for the effect of sodium on the distribution of bodily fluids

Foods rich in phytochemical compounds that dilate the arteries.

Here are some of the highlights. Be sure to regularly include them in your diet:

Garlic, with vasodilator effect

Garlic is one of the foods with the most therapeutic properties. It helps purify the blood and is antibacterial and antifungal.

In the case of hypertension, it acts as a vasodilator of the capillaries and arteries.

Be sure to take at least 1 tooth a day, raw or cooked, in sauces, sautéed or creams.

Onion, essential every day

Onion has garlic-like properties. It promotes the dilation of blood vessels and good circulation. It is essential to incorporate it into the diet daily.

Eat 1 onion a day, raw or cooked. If consumed raw, better marinated with apple cider vinegar.

Extra virgin olive oil, accompanying vegetables and salads

Olive oil is very rich in antioxidants, such as vitamin E. Excess free radicals are known to inactivate nitric oxide, a substance with vasodilator effects.\

Season vegetables and salads with 3-4 tablespoons a day of extra virgin olive oil.

Legumes, 4 or 5 times a week

They are regulatory foods at different levels, as they provide a lot of fiber, proteins, vitamins and minerals.

Take legumes 4-5 times a week in the form of hummus, salads, stews or soups.

Cinnamon to control blood sugar

Cinnamon helps control blood sugar levels. High blood glucose causes an inflammatory state that affects the malfunction of the vascular and circulatory system.

Each day add a pinch to any dish, such as fruit compotes.