5 Foods that Can Help Lower Your Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, also referred to as hypertension, runs rampant in today’s American families. About 30 percent of adults around the world are affected by this illness. The source of this epidemic are numerous dietary factors, but the one most people focus on is salt. However, if you speak with a naturopathic doctor in Carbondale, Colorado, they’ll tell you that there are other culprits to watch out for as well.

Sugar Can Cause Hypertension

There’s another white powdery substance to blame for the onset and worsening of high blood pressure – sugar. This is actually worse than it’s cousin, salt. Twelve trials were analyzed from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and what was found was that the consumption of sugar over the course of two months or longer spiked the systolic blood pressure by 6.9 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 5.6 mmHg.

The real concern is that sugar can be found in just about everything. It comes in many different forms, including high fructose corn syrup, dextrose and so on. Even starch itself turns into sugar once processed in the body. Anyone drinking sweetened beverages, such as soda or juice increase their risk of high blood pressure by 12 percent. Each additional serving of these sugary drinks increase your risk by up to 8.2 percent.

Children are at special risk of developing high blood pressure, since majority of them today consume more sugary drinks than ever before. The best way to avoid this issue is to switch up your diet, which a naturopathic doctor in Carbondale, Colorado can help you with. In integrative medicine, your diet and lifestyle are transformed to help decrease the risk of hypertension and many other illnesses. This includes dropping processed foods for whole foods and eliminating fructose.

Foods to Add to Your Diet

There are five foods you should consider adding to your diet to help keep your blood pressure normalized:

1. Dark chocolate: This is a surprising one, but do note that this isn’t the same chocolate found in candy bars in stores. Cacao has the best benefits.
2. Olive oil: You should switch out the oils you cook with those that are healthier, such as olive oil.
3. Garlic: Try adding this to your soups and stews.
4. Beets: Known to reduce your hypertension significantly.
5. Watermelon: This food can help improve arterial function and lower aortic blood pressure.

A naturopathic doctor in Carbondale, Colorado should be consulted when trying to improve your diet. Other services can also be obtained, including vitamin B12 injections.