High blood pressure: Eat apples, bananas, and blueberries to lower your readings

Doctors always say to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables to be healthy, and in this case, it is very true, especially when it comes to maintaining a normal blood pressure. A new report reveals three certain fruits are known to keep blood pressure readings in check.

Christmas is a few days away, and many people feel that this is the time to indulge or eat a little more than usual. But as festive as the holidays are, where food is part of the celebration, it might prove to be a challenge to those who suffer from chronic conditions like high blood pressure. As far as food is concerned, fruits like apples, bananas, and blueberries are reported to help lower blood pressure readings. This is because these fruits each have compounds that are shown to have benefits for those who suffer these conditions.

Apples contain quercetin, which is a flavonoid that can attack free radicals as well as support veins while keeping blood pressure levels low. Blueberries also have flavonoids and very potent antioxidants which can naturally keep blood pressure normal. Bananas are also a good source of potassium.

One study showed that people who took a lot of anthocyanins - the pigment found in berries - had lowered blood pressure by eight percent. They believe that these anthocyanins were able to lower blood pressure by producing nitric oxide, which is a chemical found in the walls of the arteries that keep the blood vessels relaxed and dilated. Other studies regarding bananas found that two bananas a day can help lower blood pressure by 10 percent.

But other than incorporating these fruits into a low-sodium diet plan, some drinks are also known for keeping blood pressure readings normal as well. Express reports that drinks like hibiscus tea, low fat milk, and pomegranate juice can potentially lower blood pressure readings as well.

Aside from being low in fat, low fat milk also happens to be high in calcium, potassium, and phosphorus - three nutrients known to lower blood pressure along with a dose of vitamin D. Hibiscus tea contains anthocyanin as well as antioxidants, while pomegranate juice contains polyphenols and three times the amount of antioxidants as green tea and red wine.