Emma Miller
Simple dietary changes can reduce high blood pressure. High blood pressure means that the force of the blood flowing through your arteries is permanently too high. When this happens, your heart has to work harder to pump blood through your body. Over time, this can increase your risk of having a heart attack.
Fortunately, you can completely reverse this mechanism before it’s too late by changing your diet.
Simple dietary changes can lower high blood pressure.
“There are many different dietary supplements on the market, but the evidence for effectiveness is mixed,” the researchers write. However, “green tea extracts are believed to have antioxidant and inhibitory properties,” they noted.
To examine the effects of green tea consumption on blood pressure, they analyzed and synthesized data from clinical trials evaluating the effects of green tea on blood pressure.
The researchers searched five electronic databases and included only double-blind randomized clinical trials (RCTs).
They also assessed the quality of reporting of the included studies. Thirty-eight eligible studies were selected, of which we included 20 RCTs with more than 1500 participants.
“The meta-analysis showed that green tea consumption resulted in significant reductions in systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol,” the researchers noted. LDL cholesterol is also a precursor to cardiovascular problems.
“We also noticed that the maximum effect of green tea is seen when the daily intake of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (the most abundant and biologically active compound in green tea extracts) is approximately 200 mg, which corresponds to five to six cups of tea per day,” they concluded.
“Above this dose, side effects were more frequent and more serious.”
General dietary tips
Reduce the amount of salt in your diet and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. “The more salt you eat, the higher your blood pressure,” warns the NHS.
According to UK health guidelines, you should aim to eat less than 6 grams of salt per day, which is about a teaspoon.
A low-fat diet that includes plenty of fiber, such as whole grain rice, bread and pasta, and plenty of fruits and vegetables, also helps to lower blood pressure,” the NHS notes.
According to the health service, you should aim to eat five servings of fruit and vegetables every day.
“Regularly drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure over time,” he adds. Sticking to recommended levels is the best way to reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure:
Men and women are not recommended to regularly drink more than 14 units per week. Spread your alcohol consumption over three days or more if you drink up to 14 units per week.
