EAT BETTER
If you’re among the one in three adults who has high blood pressure, including some of the following foods and drinks in your diet may help to reduce it:
◆ BEETROOT contains high levels of nitrates that convert to nitric oxide, which keeps blood vessels elastic. People with high blood pressure who drank 250ml beetroot juice a day experienced a drop in both systolic blood pressure (pressure in the arteries when the heart beats) and diastolic blood pressure (pressure in the arteries between heartbeats), say Queen Mary University researchers.
◆ WHEY PROTEIN In a recent UK study, people who consumed two whey protein drinks a day for eight weeks significantly lowered both their systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Whey is also found naturally in milk.
◆ CASHEWS AND ALMONDS are high in magnesium (a small handful provides 20% of your daily requirements), low levels of which are strongly linked to high blood pressure.
◆ SPINACH, CABBAGE AND KALE are among the best sources of potassium, which helps to balance out the negative effects of salt and lowers your blood pressure.
◆ CHERRY JUICE Northumbria University researchers found people who drank 60ml of cherry concentrate, diluted with water, saw their blood pressure drop by 7% within three hours. This is thought to be due to the high levels of polyphenols (plant compounds) in cherry juice.