Study reveals 7 unexpected fruits that may help lower blood pressure
Eating our five fruit and vegetables a day has been advised for over a century, and we all know that fruit is packed full of vitamins and nutrients our body needs.
More recently, a 2022 study in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension backed up claims that eating seven fruits in particular can bring with them key benefits.
The study looked at a group of 2,200 participants aged between 50 to 65 and asked them to monitor and report back how often they ate bananas, apples, pears, and citrus fruit. The research found that those who ate those fruits more frequently had significantly lower systolic home blood pressure, and it also outlined which fruits have the best benefits.
Now, it's important to remember that high blood pressure is complex, and consuming more fruit alone is unlikely to make it to drop, so don't think you can eat a full fruit bowl and magically be healthy.
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However, eating more nutritious foods can support other efforts to bring it down, and if you have high blood pressure, it’s important to look at your diet and lifestyle as a whole.
Bananas
Bananas have always been known for their health benefits, and are one of our best ways of getting enough potassium.
In fact, one medium-sized banana is thought to deliver about 375 milligrams of potassium, helping us meet our recommended daily amount (RDA).
Potassium is thought to be hugely needed by our body to balance sodium in the body and relax blood vessel walls, which then lowers blood pressure.
Whilst we want to lower sodium levels, we still want some in the body - but having too much can lead to us holding onto water, which then makes our blood vessels increase to hold the volume, and this can elevate the blood pressure.
Blueberries
One of the berries packed with the most antioxidants, these little blue superfoods are also fighting high blood pressure.
Blueberries contain anthocyanins, which can help improve how flexible our blood vessels are and also help us to produce nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is useful for helping to relax the muscles found in blood vessels, so they can let blood flow more freely and keep our blood pressure stable.
Kiwis
The hairy green fruit is packed with vitamin C and eating just one a day can count towards half of our RDA.
Like blueberries, kiwis help with the nitric oxide production, making it easier for blood to flow through vessels and lowering blood pressure.
Grapefruit
Another fruit filled with vitamin C, grapefruit can reduce oxidative stress.
Not only do we want to get rid of this stress, we also want our blood vessels to be elastic and able to flex as needed, and this then helps the circulatory system function more efficiently and lower blood pressure. Win, win.
One caveat, though: bear in mind that grapefruit often interferes with certain medications, including drugs prescribed to control blood pressure, so check with your GP.
Grapes
Grapes have a multitude of benefits and uses, but they are also loaded with polyphenols, which are naturally found in plants.
As well as supporting blood vessels to be elastic and flexible, as well as reducing oxidative stress, grapes have another key function, as they help us to lower the risk of inflammation, which is a risk factor for high blood pressure and something we're actively looking to avoid.
Watermelon
Not just a brilliant fruit packed with hydration, this pink and green melon is also ideal for lowering blood pressure.
Containing an amino acid called L-citruline, it boost the production of nitric acid and also helps to lower our blood pressure keeping us healthy.
Avocado
Like bananas, avocados are packed full of potassium and they help with blood pressure management.
They can also help with weight management thanks to being made up of healthy fats that will keep us feeling full and satiated, so we're less likely to go looking for snacks. Maintaining a healthy weight and following a balanced diet is also helpful for reducing blood pressure too.
Niamh Spence