Did you know that every two minutes one person dies from the side effects of cardiovascular disease?

We all desire to have a healthy body and keeping one’s blood pressure within the ideal range will assist in achieving this goal.

Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, is defined as a condition where the force of blood against the artery walls is higher than it is supposed to be. High blood pressure is one of the most common ailments around the world. According to WHO, raised blood pressure affects 1.13 billion people worldwide. It affects one-third of all adults in the United States and less than half of the people with high blood pressure have it under control. According to the American Heart Association, A normal blood pressure is about 120/ 80 and the interval between 120/80 and 140/90 is seen as pre-hypertension. However, a single high result doesn’t mean that you have hypertension.

Hypertension is the cause of many diseases such as Diabetes, Kidney failure, heart diseases, stroke, and several others.

This is why making a daily habit of measuring your blood pressure is a smart choice. Also, keeping a journal of your metrics helps to track trending changes. This way any differences noticed can be discussed with your doctor to investigate the issue further.

The exact cause of hypertension is unknown; however, some evidence reveals that lack of physical activity, excessive consumption of salt, alcohol, smoking, eating processed foods and genetic disposition might be contributing factors.

Also, eating good nutritious foods is an important part of maintaining a healthy life and can help in keeping your blood pressure in the ideal range.

That being, said 8 foods have been shown to help in maintaining one’s blood pressure in the healthy range:

1. Avocados: Avocados are rich in vitamins A, K, E, B, and Fiber. The Oleic acid in avocado can reduce the levels of blood pressure and cholesterol.

2. Bananas: This is a fruit that is rich in Potassium and this essential mineral is needed by all tissues within the body. It is needed to help your body work properly as it is a type of electrolyte that helps nerve function and muscles contract. It helps your heartbeat stay regular and helps move nutrients into cells and waste products out of cells. And finally, it helps to offset some of sodium’s harmful effects on blood pressure.

3. Beets: Beets help to relax the blood vessels and improve the blood flux. It is found that drinking just one cup of beet juice per day can help reduce blood pressure by up to 5 points according to researchers.

4. Carrots: Carrots can make significant impacts on the control of hypertension.

5. Celery: The phytochemicals present in celery, known as phthalides, relax the muscle tissues of the artery walls allowing more blood flux thus reducing blood pressure.

6. Spinach: Spinach is a leafy green plant that extremely nutrient-rich vegetable for our body. It is a great source of potassium, folate, and magnesium. The leafy wonder is also a good source of lutein. Lutein is instrumental in preventing the thickening of walls of arteries, which helps reduce the risk of strokes and blood pressure.

7. Oats: Fiber and whole grains are great to keep blood pressure under control. Consuming oats can help you.

8. Sunflower seeds: Sunflower seeds are rich in vitamin E, folic acid, proteins, and fiber. They help to reduce blood pressure and improve heart health.

Including these foods in your diet can make a significant impact on your efforts to control your blood pressure.

Also, if you suffer from high blood pressure, increasing your consumption of water has been found to help. The suggested amount of water one should consume per day is ideally between 67 and 84 oz. or at least of one’s body weight in ounces.

Disclaimer: This content including advice is general information only. Remember that it is very important to note that if you have prolonged hypertension, your treatment may require both healthy lifestyle changes like these. If these fail to help be sure to contact your physician as it may require supplements and/or prescribed medications. Talk to your doctor for specific advice on how to lower your blood pressure.