Drink This To Lower Your Blood Pressure.

When you want to lower your blood
pressure, think beyond slashing salt,
calories and fat — and also consider what
you can add to your diet. More
vegetables, fruits and lean protein, says
the Institute of Medicine in a February
2010 report on preventing and
controlling high blood pressure. Plus,
recent research points to three beverages
that also may help to lower blood
pressure.
Consider drinking more of the following:
Hibiscus Tea
Wondering about how to lower blood
pressure? It’s as easy as one, two, tea:
Study participants who sipped 3 cups of a
hibiscus tea daily lowered systolic blood
pressure by 7 points in 6 weeks on
average, say researchers from Tufts
University–results on par with many
prescription medications. Those who
received a placebo drink improved their
reading by only 1 point.
The phytochemicals in hibiscus are
probably responsible for the large
reduction in high blood pressure, say the
study authors. Many herbal teas contain
hibiscus; look for blends that list it near
the top of the chart of ingredients–this
often indicates a higher concentration per
serving.
Low- or Nonfat Milk
Both supply potassium and calcium, two
nutrients that are associated with healthy
blood pressure, and are fortified with
vitamin D—a vitamin that new research
suggests promotes healthy blood
pressure. Substituting low-fat dairy—
including milk—for full-fat versions may
also help lower blood pressure, reports a
2009 study in the British Journal of
Nutrition. In healthy people, arteries are
“elastic”: they relax (widen) and constrict
(narrow) to keep blood pressure within a
normal range. Full-fat dairy contains
significant amounts of palmitic acid (much
more than low-fat dairy), which can block
signals that relax blood vessels, leaving
them in a constricted state that may keep
blood pressure elevated.
Cranberry Juice
At your next celebration, raise a glass of…
cranberry juice? Turns out, cranberry
juice has the same blood pressure–
lowering effects as red wine, according to
a 2010 study in the Journal of Agricultural
and Food Chemistry. (The study was
partially funded by Ocean Spray.) Both
beverages—as well as apple juice and
cocoa—boast antioxidants called
proanthocyanidins, which inhibit synthesis
of a compound called ET-1 that plays a
role in constricting blood vessels.