One of the most important things for people with high blood pressure is to control their blood pressure. Because high pressure inside the blood vessels over a long period of time can easily damage the blood vessel walls, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Depending on each person's needs, some people will choose to be completely vegetarian or eat some days a week. However, maintaining a vegetarian diet for a long time can easily cause the body to lack some nutrients only found in animals, such as vitamin B12. Therefore, experts recommend that vegetarians eat more eggs and milk to avoid vitamin B12 deficiency, according to the health website. Healthline (America).
Oats, which are rich in fiber, can help lower blood pressure.
For people on a balanced diet, plant foods should make up about 50 to 55 percent of their total daily calories. However, these plants should be complex carbohydrates, such as vegetables and fruits.
A study in the journal Current Nutrition Reports found that if you eat a lot of refined starch, such as white starch or sugar, not only blood sugar but also blood pressure will increase abnormally.
One of the key components of plants that can help lower blood pressure is fiber. Fiber stimulates the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut, which helps produce more short-chain fatty acids, thereby lowering blood pressure.
Additionally, plants rich in fiber also have a lower glycemic index. A low glycemic index does not increase blood glucose levels, thereby reducing insulin and leptin hormone levels. These effects result in lower blood pressure.
A study published in the journal Journal of Hypertension found that a high-fiber diet reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 6 mmHg and 4 mmHg, respectively.
In addition, other research in the journal Hypertension determined the minimum amount of fiber a person needs to eat. Specifically, men need to eat 38 grams of fiber/day, while this number for women is 28 grams. For every additional 5 grams of fiber/day, systolic blood pressure will decrease by 2,8 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure will decrease by 2,1 mmHg.
The best sources of fiber for healthy eaters, especially vegetarians, are whole grains. Good whole grains include brown rice, oats, and barley.
If these grains are bland, add bananas. Bananas are rich in potassium, with about 422 mg of potassium in a medium-sized banana. Potassium, when absorbed into the body, dilates blood vessels and lowers blood pressure, according to Healthline.