Foods can help control blood pressure

Q: I just started taking blood pressure medication, but I want to also use diet to get my hypertension under control. Are there specific foods I should eat? — Hank G., Atlanta

A: Lifestyle choices, including diet, exercise, sleep habits, alcohol consumption and smoking, can make a major difference in your blood pressure control. But if you are on anti-hypertensive medication, you should stay on it and add in healthful lifestyle changes. Once you have your blood pressure consistently under 115/75, you can talk to your doc about weaning yourself (slowly) off the medication and seeing if your numbers remain good.

As for specific foods that help lower blood pressure, a new study published in Scientific Reports has found eating foods high in flavanols, found in berries, apples and green and black tea, lowers your systolic blood pressure number (the top one) significantly.

Dark chocolate, Shiraz red

DRS. OZ AND ROIZEN wine, walnuts, leafy greens, extra virgin olive oil, apricots, turmeric, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, dried dill and cumin seed also deliver a significant dose of the anti-inflammatory, blood-vessel-friendly nutrients.

Once you shift your diet, don’t stop there. Adding in more physical activity could make the difference between prevention of a heart attack or not!

Q: Since I turned 68, my muscles are melting away — and I work out twice a week with strength training and at least twice a week with aerobics. What can I do to get more muscle mass and tone back? — Celia J., Boston

A: What you’re describing may be sarcopenia, the gradual loss of muscle mass that sometimes happens to folks 65 and older. One 2018 study found in the

U.S., sarcopenia affects around 15 percent of white men and women, around 27 percent of Hispanics of both genders, and 8.8 percent of Black males and 1.6 percent of Black females. It can happen not just from decreased activity, but also from hormone shifts and what researchers at Tufts Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging call “inflammaging,” a low-grade, chronic inflammation that can develop over time.

One study published in Current Developments in Nutrition found seniors who took in the least amount of protein had inflammation scores twice as high as participants who consumed the most protein.

For protein, opt for lean poultry, fish like salmon and lots of plant-based proteins.