FOUNTAIN FUN
Even though the weather was gloomy yesterday, many people took a stroll on Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. William Hua, 6, of New Hampshire, above, plays and Yiqin Res, right, sits with her parents, Tianqing and Wenxiang Res, at the Rings Fountain.
Most people I talk to about high blood pressure say, “I know, I know. I need to cut back on salt.” That’s true. Few, however, know that potassium also plays a key role in fighting high blood pressure.
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke — sometimes called a heart attack in the brain — that can lead to serious disabilities or death.
We could prevent 80 percent of strokes, says the American Heart Association, primarily by keeping our blood pressure in check. A normal blood pressure (now defined as less than 120/80) can also help ward off heart attacks, aneurysms and dementia as well as certain kidney and eye diseases.
Potassium works to lower blood pressure in several ways, according to a fact sheet from the National Institutes of Health. It helps keep our blood vessels flexible and open so the pressure of blood pumping through is reduced. Potassium also helps our bodies eliminate excess sodium. One of the best strategies to lower blood pressure, therefore, is to eat a diet high in potassium and low in sodium.
What does that diet look like? An example is the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). This eat- ing pattern — rich in potassium from fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy foods — has been shown to significantly lower blood pressure.
Fortunately, bananas are not the only food that con- tain potassium. It is found in a variety of plant as well as animal-based foods. Several types of fruit, vegetables and legumes (beans and peas) as well as meat, milk, poultry, fish and nuts are good sources of this nutrient.