Lifestyle measures, such as a healthy diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and stress management are essential for managing high blood pressure. If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, your doctor may recommend certain medications along with lifestyle modifications. Both these medications and lifestyle measures have their distinct places in blood pressure management and must be followed as advised by your doctor.
Fruits, due to their high fiber, antioxidants, and certain mineral content (such as potassium and magnesium), play a crucial role in preventing and managing cardiovascular diseases, including high blood pressure.
All fruits have several health advantages and help manage blood pressure; however, the best fruits for hypertension are listed below:
- Citrus fruits: These are rich in antioxidants including vitamin C and flavonoids that help promote heart and blood vessel health. They are also rich in fiber and potassium and low in sodium. All these qualities make them excellent for people with high blood pressure.
- Berries: All berries, particularly blueberries, are loaded with antioxidant compounds and polyphenols that help lower blood pressure and improve the health of blood vessels.
- Bananas: These “superfoods” are rich in nutrients, such as potassium, fiber, magnesium, and antioxidants that help manage high blood pressure.
- Pomegranate: Research suggests that the nutrients in pomegranate help lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels, promote healthy blood flow, prevent hardening of blood vessels, and promote heart health.
- Prunes: These are rich in potassium and low in sodium, which helps promote heart health, lower blood pressure, and prevent the hardening of blood vessels.
- Melons: These provide a great amount of vitamin C, potassium, folate, and fiber, which helps manage blood pressure and promotes cardiovascular health.
How many fruits should I eat in a day?
Fruits and vegetables have several health advantages. According to the American Heart Association, one should have about four to five servings of fruits a day.
One serving of fruit equals
- One whole medium-size fruit, such as peach, apple, or orange
- Half a cup of diced fresh, frozen, or canned fruits
- One-fourth cup of dried fruits
- One-fourth cup of fruit juice
Although a single serving of 100 percent juice can replace one of your recommended daily servings of fruits, eating the fruit is better than drinking its juice. This is because eating the entire fruit provides valuable fiber to your diet. Besides, there are always chances of overconsumption of juices because they are less filling compared to fruits.
You must always choose 100 percent juices over juices with added sugars or sodium.
What foods should you avoid if you have high blood pressure?
Many foods and drinks may worsen your high blood pressure. These must be avoided or consumed in moderation.
Avoid the following foods and drinks to for hypertension:
- High sodium foods, such as:
- canned, smoked, or cured meat,
- seafood,
- poultry and bacon,
- salted nuts,
- salted butter,
- pizza, and
- canned beans with added salt.
- Saturated fats, such as:
- butter,
- cheese,
- French fries,
- margarine (especially stick margarine), and
- fried foods.
- Sugary foods and beverages, including:
- colas,
- sweetened juices,
- cakes,
- cookies, and
- candies.
- Alcohol
- Limit alcohol to no more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men.
- (one drink = 12 oz beer, 4 oz wine, 1.5 oz 80-proof spirits, or 1 oz 100-proof spirits.)
- Limit alcohol to no more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men.
- High-fat dairy
- Canned soups
- Fast foods
- High fat or regular salad dressings
QUESTION
Salt and sodium are the same. See AnswerAsgary S, Keshvari M. Effects of Citrus sinensis juice on blood pressure. ARYA Atheroscler. 2013;9(1):98-101.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3653258/
Godman H. How many fruits and vegetables do we really need? Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/how-many-fruits-and-vegetables-do-we-really-need
Top Best Fruits for Lowering Blood Pressure Related Articles
Blood Pressure Picture
The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. See a picture of Blood Pressure and learn more about the health topic.
What Are Normal Blood Pressure Ranges by Age For Men and Women?
What is normal, low and high blood pressure? Find charts of blood pressure readings and ranges for men and women of different ages. Discover what causes high and low blood pressure and how to prevent it.
Can Drinking Water Lower Your Blood Pressure?
Keeping well hydrated by drinking six to eight glasses of water daily (even more if working in hot and humid conditions) is beneficial for the blood pressure. High blood pressure (BP) or hypertension is a condition caused by the persistent high pressure of blood against the walls of arteries. It is also called systolic pressure (constantly greater than 139 mmHg) or diastolic pressure (constantly more than 89 mmHg).
High-Sugar Fruits
Sugar content in fruit varies. High-sugar fruits include mangoes, pears, grapes, cherries, bananas, figs, and watermelon. Low-sugar fruits include avocados, guava, raspberries, cantaloupe, papayas, and strawberries.
What Foods Can I Eat to Lower My Blood Pressure Immediately?
What is high blood pressure and how can you lower it? Learn the best foods to help lower your blood pressure immediately.
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
High blood pressure (hypertension) is a disease in which pressure within the arteries of the body is elevated. About 75 million people in the US have hypertension (1 in 3 adults), and only half of them are able to manage it. Many people do not know that they have high blood pressure because it often has no has no warning signs or symptoms.
Systolic and diastolic are the two readings in which blood pressure is measured. The American College of Cardiology released new guidelines for high blood pressure in 2017. The guidelines now state that blood normal blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg. If either one of those numbers is higher, you have high blood pressure.
The American Academy of Cardiology defines high blood pressure slightly differently. The AAC considers 130/80 mm Hg. or greater (either number) stage 1 hypertension. Stage 2 hypertension is considered 140/90 mm Hg. or greater.
If you have high blood pressure you are at risk of developing life threatening diseases like stroke and heart attack.
REFERENCE: CDC. High Blood Pressure. Updated: Nov 13, 2017.
High Blood Pressure & Body
High blood pressure puts you at risk for a number of other conditions. Here's what to look out for.
What Is High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)? Symptoms, Treatments
What causes high blood pressure (hypertension)? What is normal blood pressure? Know the warning signs and symptoms of high blood pressure. Read about high blood pressure medications, diet, and long-term treatments.
HBP Quiz
Take this quiz and test your IQ of high blood pressure (hypertension), the cardiovascular disease that causes most strokes and heart attacks. How are dizziness, snoring, and gout related to HBP? Find the answer and learn how medical treatments and lifestyle adjustments fight this common problem.
Things to Know About High Blood Pressure Treatment
High blood pressure (hypertension) means high pressure (tension) in the arteries. Treatment for high blood pressure include lifestyle modifications (alcohol, smoking, coffee, salt, diet, exercise), drugs and medications such as ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, beta blockers, diuretics, calcium channel blockers (CCBs), alpha blockers, clonidine, minoxidil, and Exforge.
How Can I Lower My Blood Pressure in Minutes?
Learn how to lower your high blood pressure quickly and how to better manage this condition.
What Are the Top Drinks to Lower Blood Pressure?
The top drinks for lowering blood pressure include beverages that are rich in nutrients and low in sodium and fats. Learn the 10 best blood-pressure-lowering drinks here.What Foods Are Good If You Have Low Blood Pressure?
What is low blood pressure and what causes it? Learn the signs and symptoms of low blood pressure and what you can do to treat it.What Is Considered Stroke-Level High Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure readings above 180/120 mmHg are considered stroke-level and require immediate medical attention. Check out the center below for more medical references on hypertension, including multimedia (slideshows, images, and quizzes), related diseases, treatment, diagnosis, medications, and prevention or wellness.
Which Fruits Are High in Potassium?
Potassium is an important mineral that plays a vital role in the body. Fruits that are high in potassium include bananas, cantaloupe, oranges, avocados, grapefruit, apricots, honeydew, guava and kiwi.
Which Fruits Have the Highest Protein?
The recommended daily allowance of protein for adults is 0.36 grams per pound of bodyweight. The fruits that have the highest protein content include avocados and guava.