The heart pumps blood into
the blood vessels (arteries), which carry the blood throughout the body. The
blood pressure is the measure of the force of blood pushing against blood
vessel walls.
The online portal,
mayoclinic.com, explains that blood pressure is determined by the amount of
blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your
arteries. “The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the
higher your blood pressure,” it states.
Physicians say high blood
pressure (also called hypertension) is dangerous because it makes the heart
work harder to pump blood to the body — a situation that contributes to
hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), ultimately leading to the development
of heart failure.
While experts argue that the
exact causes of high blood pressure are not known, they warn that several
factors and conditions may play a role in its development. These factors
include smoking, being overweight or obese, lack of physical activity, too much
salt in the diet, too much alcohol consumption, stress, older age, genetics,
family history of high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease and
adrenal/thyroid disorders.
Beyond taking appropriate
medications for hypertension, though, cardiologists, nutritionists and a host
of scientific evidence all agree that you can lower your blood pressure and
keep it in check by eating sensibly. Again, they say, certain foods are so
beneficial to the body because of their capability to lower blood pressure.
Nutritionists say plant-based diets and diets high in fruits and vegetables are
strongly associated with lower blood pressure
So, what are these wonder foods? These ones…
Broccoli
Broccoli contains fibre,
potassium, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C and beta-carotene, all of which can
help in lowering blood pressure. It also contains chromium, which helps to
regulate insulin and blood sugar.” You can eat it raw, steamed, juiced, or as a
side dish.